BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The two leaders jointly announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.

China and Chad have engaged in mutually beneficial cooperation and achieved substantial results under frameworks such as the Belt and Road Initiative and FOCAC, Xi said.

China has been Chad's largest trading and investment partner for years, and their pragmatic cooperation has improved the well-being of both peoples, said Xi, adding that China is willing to further synergize development strategies with Chad and push for new progress in bilateral relations.