BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping met Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah here on Friday to confer on bilateral ties and cooperation in many fields.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, 2nd left, speaks with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (not seen) of Brunei during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing April 5, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

Xi said Hassanal was the first foreign leader he received after he was elected the Chinese president which highlighted the great importance China has attached to its relations with Brunei as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Xi also expressed his appreciation to the contribution from Hassanal to fostering China-Brunei ties, voicing his hope to step up the bilateral relations to a higher level via Hassanal's China visit.

For his part, Hassanal said he was pleased to see the two-way trade reached one billion US dollars in 2011, which indicated the robust growth of the bilateral cooperation in such fields as energy and infrastructure.

Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, 2nd right, of Brunei speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not seen) during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing April 5, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

He also voiced his invitations for the Chinese companies to boost their business and further involve into Brunei's economic development.

Hassanal will also attend the opening ceremony of the annual Boao Forum for Asia on Saturday in southern Hainan province.

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