BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday congratulated Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala on his reappointment as Tonga's minister for foreign affairs.

In his message, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that bilateral ties have maintained sound and steady growth since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Tonga.

In November 2025, King Tupou VI paid a successful state visit to China, during which the leaders of the two countries mapped out a new blueprint for the development of China-Tonga relations, Wang said.

China attaches great importance to developing relations with Tonga and looks forward to working with the Tongan side to follow up on the important consensus reached by the two leaders, deepen exchanges and cooperation across various fields, strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, and continuously deliver new outcomes in advancing the China-Tonga comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang added.