Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Myanmar President U Win Myint in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Jan. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that relations between China and Myanmar now stand at a key juncture that inherits the past and ushers in the future as the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century.

In an exchange of congratulatory messages with his Myanmar counterpart, U Win Myint, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Myanmar relations.

In the message, Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 70 years ago, the traditional China-Myanmar "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship has been as firm as a rock despite wind and rain, adding that the two peoples have benefited from developing bilateral relations and deepening cooperation in various fields between their countries.

Xi noted that the two sides supported and looked out for each other in the recent battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, which well interprets the spirit of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future that features sharing weal and woe and being in the same boat.

Xi recalled his successful state visit to Myanmar in January, when he and Win Myint reached important consensus on building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future under new circumstances, ushering in a new era of bilateral relations.

Xi said he is ready to work with Win Myint to steer the bilateral relationship forward along the path of building a China-Myanmar community with a shared future and allow the two peoples to be good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good "Paukphaw" forever.

He suggested that the two sides enhance bilateral high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and strengthen coordination and cooperation within multilateral frameworks.

For his part, Win Myint congratulated China on the successful convening of the "two sessions," and expressed sincere gratitude for China's valuable assistance to and strong support for Myanmar's fight against COVID-19 and its economic and social development.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have agreed to build a Myanmar-China community with a shared future, Win Myint said, expressing his belief that the two sides will further deepen their mutually-beneficial cooperation in all areas as bilateral ties make new progress.

On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi also exchanged congratulatory messages.

In his message, Li said that the Chinese side, under new circumstances, is ready to work with the Myanmar side, taking the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state as a main line, to accelerate alignment of development strategies and deepen joint construction of the Belt and Road and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) cooperation, so as to promote the building of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future to continuously go deeper and more practical.

Aung San Suu Kyi said in her message that the Myanmar-China Belt and Road and the CMEC cooperation will certainly benefit the two peoples, adding that the Myanmar side is ready to work with the Chinese side to promote the bilateral friendship and practical cooperation to keep achieving new development.