HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday morning consented to hold a bilateral meeting with Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese Premier was in the Sultanate for an official state visit for two days from October 10-11.

Attending the meeting were His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

During the meeting, His Majesty and the Chinese Premier discussed issues relating to bilateral relations between Brunei Darussalam and the People’s Republic of China, as well as exchanged views on regional and international matters of mutual concern.

After the meeting, two documents were signed by both countries.

The first document was a Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Cooperation signed by His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.

The other document was the Instrument between Petroleum Brunei and China National Offshore Oil Cooperation on a Joint Venture Agreement on Oilfield Services signed by Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II as the Chairman of Petroleum Brunei, and Wang Yilin, Chairman of National Offshore Oil Cooperation.

Also present at the meeting were Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi bin Hj Osman, Minister of Development as the Minister-in-Attendance; Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abd Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim, Minister of Finance II at the Prime Minister’s Office; Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade II; Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office; and Datin Paduka Magdalene Teo Chee Siong, Brunei Darussalam Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China.

On the other hand, part of the Chinese delegation included Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China; Xu Shaosi, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC); Gao Hucheng, Minister of Commerce; Xiao Jie, Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council; Ning Jizhe, Director of Research Office of the State Council; and Zheng Xianglin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam.

The events took place at the Istana Nurul Iman. - Borneo Bulletin (12 October 2013)