President Xi Jinping congratulated Bob Dadae on Friday on his reelection as governor-general of Papua New Guinea, saying that he stands ready to work with the leader of the Pacific island country to promote the steady development of bilateral ties.

In a congratulatory message sent to Dadae, Xi said that Papua New Guinea was one of the first Pacific island countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, and their traditional friendship has grown over the years.

He spoke highly of the high-level development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the nations, saying bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields have achieved fruitful results, delivering great benefits to the people of both countries.

Noting that he attaches great importance to the development of relations with Papua New Guinea, Xi said that he is ready to work with Dadae to advance the steady development of the countries' ties and open up new prospects for their long-term relations.

Dadae, 61, was reelected Papua New Guinea's governor-general on Jan 19. He was sworn in as the nation's 10th governor-general on Feb 28, 2017.

Relations between China and Papua New Guinea have been growing rapidly in recent years as the two nations have taken concrete actions to boost bilateral cooperation, particularly in joint building of the Belt and Road.