The sultan welcomed Xi's visit, saying that it would deepen traditional friendship and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

He reaffirmed Brunei's firm stance on upholding the one-China policy. Brunei would like to take the opportunity of the visit to enhance bilateral cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, education, people-to-people visits and justice to bring benefits to the people of both nations, he said.

Brunei would like to connect development strategies with China, he said, adding that Brunei spoke highly of China's role in promoting the stability of the world.

It's good for Brunei to see that countries in the region have jointly maintained the peace and stability of the South China Sea and promoted maritime cooperation, he added.