On April 9, 2019, Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hajah Dayang Siti Norishan binti Haji Awang Abdul Ghafor of Brunei held the 16th China-Brunei diplomatic consultation in Beijing.

Kong Xuanyou said that China-Brunei relations have made great strides in the past two years, with the two heads of state realizing historic mutual visits, bilateral relations being upgraded to a strategic cooperative partnership and the cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative progressing smoothly. This year marks the first year following the upgrading of China-Brunei relations. The two sides should well implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during President Xi Jinping's visit to Brunei last year, take the Belt and Road Initiative as the focus, constantly enhance political mutual trust, deepen economic mutual benefit, and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and multilateral mutual assistance, so as to continuously push forward new development in China-Brunei relations.

Hajah Dayang Siti Norishan binti Haji Awang Abdul Ghafor said that the friendship between Brunei and China boasts a time-honored history. The Bruneian side attaches great importance to the relations with China and appreciates China's leading role in regional and international affairs. His majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah looks forward to attending the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China this month. The Bruneian side is ready to work with the Chinese side to deepen the integration between Brunei Vision 2035 and the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to better support the common development of the two countries.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues concerning the South China Sea, relations between China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and reform of the World Trade Organization.