BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China and Turkmenistan should expand the scale of cooperation in the natural gas sector, and elevate trade and investment levels, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Beijing on Wednesday.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, adding that the two sides should expand cooperation in non-resource fields, including connectivity, agriculture, artificial intelligence, digital economy and clean energy.

China's "two sessions" were successfully held not long ago, during which the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development was approved, Xi said.

He also stated that the implementation of this outline will lay a solid foundation for China towards basically achieving socialist modernization, which benefits countries around the world.

Over the past 35 years since its independence, Turkmenistan has forged an independent development path suited to its national conditions, Xi said.

At the beginning of the Year of the Horse, China stands ready to discuss cooperation and share development opportunities with Turkmenistan to promote the building of the China-Turkmenistan community with a shared future, he said.

Stressing that mutual support is the core essence of the China-Turkmenistan comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said regardless of how the international situation evolves, China will always support Turkmenistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Moreover, China will always support Turkmenistan in pursuing a policy of permanent neutrality and will remain a trustworthy partner for Turkmenistan.

Both sides should accelerate the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Turkmenistan's development strategy, he said, calling on both sides to accelerate the progress of establishing Luban Workshops, traditional Chinese medicine centers and cultural centers.

China and Turkmenistan must resolutely combat the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism to foster a secure environment for the development of both countries, Xi said.

As a myriad of global challenges keep emerging, China stands ready to work with Turkmenistan to firmly uphold the status and authority of the United Nations and practice genuine multilateralism.

Xi called on both sides to adhere to a global governance philosophy that emphasizes extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and lead the transformation of global governance with the principles of fairness, justice, openness, and inclusiveness.

For his part, Berdimuhamedov extended his congratulations on China's successful "two sessions," which makes important decisions and arrangements for the development of various initiatives.

Noting that China's prosperity and development benefit the world, he said that Turkmenistan-China cooperation has become an important and positive factor in the economic and social development of the two countries and is in the long-term interests of the two peoples.

Turkmenistan will, as always, abide by the one-China principle and is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with China, expand practical cooperation in energy, trade, connectivity and other fields, and seek common development and prosperity, as well as promote security and stability, Berdimuhamedov said.

He said that Turkmenistan thanked China for its support of Turkmenistan's permanent neutral status, spoke highly of the four global initiatives proposed by Xi, and appreciated China for upholding a fair stance in international affairs.

Turkmenistan is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and the China-Central Asia mechanism to jointly safeguard peace and stability of the region and the world at large, Berdimuhamedov said.