BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory message to Alassane Ouattara on his re-election as Cote d'Ivoire's president.

In his message, Xi said China and Cote d'Ivoire are fellow travelers and good partners on the path toward modernization.

Xi stated that bilateral relations have maintained a strong momentum of development, with fruitful achievements in various areas and deepening friendship between the two peoples.

The world is currently witnessing accelerated changes unseen in a century, Xi said, adding that the strength of the Global South has been growing remarkably.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Cote d'Ivoire relations and is willing to work with Ouattara to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership and jointly promote solidarity and cooperation among the Global South.