How would you describe the evolution of Cyprus’ bilateral relationship with China, and what key areas of cooperation do you see as vital for the continued strengthening of ties between the two countries?
Cyprus and China have longstanding friendly ties, based on mutual trust, respect and understanding. Despite the geographical distance, Cyprus and China have established political dialogue mechanisms, with high-level exchanges. Furthermore, our two countries have developed practical cooperation across the board including in the economic, cultural, scientific, and educational areas, as well as people-to-people contacts.
In fact, people-to-people exchanges constitute a significant driving force for the enhancement of our bilateral partnership and the deepening of mutual understanding. In this regard, we work towards promoting cultural and tourism exchanges. The recent announcement by the Chinese Government that from 15 October 2024 until 31 December 2025, Cypriot citizens will be able to travel visa-free to China for business, tourism and transit purposes, for a duration of stay up to 15 days, will contribute to the further enhancement of people-to people contacts.
Cyprus and China have a good record of multilateral collaboration in the United Nations and other international organisations and fora, based on our shared commitment to multilateralism, international law and the UN Charter. We also share the same steadfast commitment for the respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
In this regard, Cyprus greatly appreciates China’s consistent and principled stance on the Cyprus Question. As 2024 marks 50 years since the illegal Turkish invasion of Cyprus, China’s unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Republic of Cyprus is pivotal. Moreover, the Republic of Cyprus’ support to the One China Policy is unwavering.
As an EU Member State, Cyprus supports the advancement of constructive and stable EU-China relations and emphasises the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the European Union and Beijing, as well as to continue their engagement to tackle pressing issues of global interest, such as climate change. Cyprus, building on our longstanding relations with China, will continue working towards the further advancement of our cooperation, both on bilateral and multilateral levels.
