BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday exchanged congratulations with his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Noting China and Mauritania share a deep-rooted traditional friendship, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that over the past 60 years, the bilateral relations have made significant progress, with deepening exchanges and cooperation across various fields.

In recent years, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani have met on multiple occasions and jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership last year, charting a new blueprint for the development of bilateral relations, Wang said.

Wang voiced his readiness to work with Merzoug to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, further enhance communication and coordination between the two foreign ministries, and make unremitting efforts to advance the strategic partnership between China and Mauritania.

For his part, Merzoug said that Mauritania will remain committed to the one-China principle and firmly believes that under the guidance of the two friendly heads of state, the two sides will work closely together to open up new prospects for a closer Mauritania-China strategic partnership, serving the highest interests of both nations.