At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will pay a state visit to China from April 22 to 24, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

The Chinese diplomat said at a regular departmental press conference that China and Azerbaijan are “strategic partners,” Xinhua reports.

According to him, political mutual trust between the two sides has continued to strengthen, cooperation within the Belt and Road has achieved “fruitful” results, and international interaction has been effective.

During Aliyev's visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with him to work out a new plan for the development of bilateral relations, he said. Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Qiang and President of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji will meet with Aliyev for an in-depth exchange of views on cooperation in various fields.