Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday called for enhanced bilateral relations between China and Papua New Guinea.

During a meeting with Vice Premier Puka Temu, Li said China attaches great importance to Papua New Guinea's influence over the South Pacific region and will always regard the island nation as a reliable friend and partner.

In recent years, Li said, the two countries have enjoyed closer high-level exchanges and deepened communications at all levels. He said China will advance its cooperative relations with Papua New Guinea on the basis of peaceful co-existence.

China supports Papua New Guinea's active role in regional affairs and will work jointly with it in addressing global challenges such as climate change, he said.

Li said China would like to expand cooperation with Papua New Guinea in a variety of sectors including trade, investment, agriculture, forestry and fishing, and technology.

Temu, for his part, said that Papua New Guinea and China are in the best era of bilateral relations in history and enjoy promising prospects for the future.

Papua New Guinea would like to enhance mutual political trust, economic cooperation, cultural exchanges and close coordination in multi-lateral affairs to constantly push forward relations, he said.

Temu said Papua New Guinea welcomes investment from Chinese enterprises. He appreciates China's active role in multi-lateral affairs and regional issues.

Temu said Li's visit to Papua New Guinea was very successful in that leaders of the two countries have exchanged in-depth views on issues of common concern and reached broad consensus on friendly cooperation.

The milestone visit, he said, has led to the signing of a series of cooperative agreements and injected vigor to future cooperation between the two countries.

After the meeting, Li and Temu attended a signing ceremony for cooperative agreements between the two nations on preferential loans, liquified natural gas purchases and construction of the Ramu NiCo (Ramu NiCo Management Limited) community.

Papua New Guinea was the last stop on Li's three-nation tour, which first took him to Australia and New Zealand.