On July 17 Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mr. Kostyantyn Gryshchenko started his official visit to the People’s Republic of China.

Head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry met the Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee Politburo of the Communist Party of China Mr. He Guoqiang and held negotiations with Minister for Foreign Affairs of China Mr. Yang Jiechi.

During the meeting with Mr. He Guoqiang the representative of the Chinese leadership expressed satisfaction with the current state and dynamics of the development of Ukraine-China relations. The symbolism of the fact that two countries enter the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations in the status of strategic partners was noted.

The Sides exchanged views on the ways to further enhance political dialogue and cooperation on inter-parliamentary and inter-regional level as well as practical interaction in financial, investment, infrastructural, agricultural, cultural, humanitarian and other fields.

During the talks with the Head of Chinese Foreign Ministry Mr. Yang Jiechi the Sides discussed the schedule of the visits at the highest and high levels for near perspective. The Parties confirmed the mutual interest in maintaining the intensity of the political dialogue between Ukraine and the PRC. It was specially noted the visible activization and diversification of the interaction on the level of heads and structural divisions of the Foreign Ministries on the bilateral level as well as in the framework of international organizations.

The Sided thoroughly analyzed the state of implementation of the agreements reached during the visits of President of Ukraine Mr. Viktor Yanukovych to China in September 2010 and President of China Mr. Hu Jintao to Ukraine in June 2011. The readiness of the two sides to fill the relations of strategic partnership between Ukraine and China established in 2011 with the concrete essence was stressed.

The special attention was paid to such key spheres of Ukraine-China cooperation as trade and economy, investment, finance and credit, infrastructure, science and technology, culture and humanitarian fields.

With the aim to intensify the bilateral contacts Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko invited his colleague to visit Ukraine. The invitation was accepted with gratitude.

Following the meeting the Heads of Foreign Ministries of Ukraine and China signed the Plan of Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China for the period of 2012-2013 years.