Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met in Beijing with Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Ednan Karabayev on bilateral ties.

During the talks in the Great Hall of the People, Xi hailed Kyrgyzstan as "a sincere friend and a reliable partner" and underscored the Chinese government's attention to bilateral ties.

He said bilateral relations have achieved remarkable progress in recent years, citing cooperation on economic issues, trade, transportation, culture and security.

"The meetings between the presidents of the two nations in August have injected vitality into bilateral ties," Xi said, referring to the talks between Hu Jintao and Kurmanbek Bakiyev on the sidelines of the Beijing Olympics and the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Xi said China would like to work with Kyrgyzstan to fully carryout their consensus and deals for stronger bilateral ties.

Karabayev said the relationship with China was a priority in Kyrgyzstan's foreign policy.

He said Kyrgyzstan will firmly support China's stance on the Tibet and fighting the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism.

The foreign minister said Kyrgyzstan would like to expand cooperation with China and take bilateral good neighborly cooperation to a new high.

Karabayev, who arrived here on Tuesday, will also travel to Shanghai.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2008)