(Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. The two sides agreed to continue to extend the China-Russia Treaty of Good Neighborhood and Friendly Cooperation.
Xi pointed out that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic coordination partnership and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good Neighborhood and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia.
China-Russia relations have been able to progress step by step precisely because the two countries have continued to deepen mutual political trust and strategic coordination with unwavering tenacity, expand comprehensive cooperation with the will to continually reach new heights, and uphold international justice and fairness and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind with unwavering determination, he said.
As permanent members of the UN Security Council and important major countries in the world, China and Russia should adopt a strategic and long-term vision, drive the development and revitalization of our respective countries through even higher quality comprehensive strategic coordination, and work to make the global governance system more just and equitable, Xi said.
China and Russia have developed a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era based on equality, mutual respect, good faith and win-win cooperation, he said.
Mutual political trust has further deepened, cooperation in various fields such as trade and economy, investment, energy, science and technology, people-to-people and subnational exchanges has continued to advance, and ties between the two peoples have been strengthened, he added.
China-Russia relations have entered a new stage marked by greater achievements and faster development, he noted.
Continuously promoting the long-term, healthy, stable and high-quality development of China-Russia relations is a strategic choice of both sides based on the fundamental interests of the two countries and global trends, Xi said.
Xi called on China and Russia to fully implement the important consensus reached by Putin and himself, seize historic opportunities and further strengthen mutual trust, cooperation and friendship between the two countries.
Xi stressed that the two sides should focus on the goals of national development and revitalization, make full use of the comprehensive and well-established China-Russia cooperation mechanisms, and strengthen comprehensive cooperation planning in all aspects.
He added that the two countries should also promote strengthening practical cooperation in trade and investment, energy and resources, transportation and scientific and technological innovation, and actively explore cooperation in cutting-edge sectors, so as to create new growth engines through new-quality productive forces.
Efforts should be made to continue the long-standing friendship between the two sides, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, film, tourism and sports, and consolidate social and public support for the bilateral friendship, Xi noted.
In addition, the two sides should deepen multilateral collaboration and further strengthen coordination and cooperation within the frameworks of the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS and APEC, Xi said.
He also emphasized joint efforts to firmly safeguard the post-war international order and the authority of international law, unite countries in the global South and guide the reform of the global governance system in the right direction.
For his part, Putin said that Russian-Chinese relations, thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, have reached an unprecedented level, characterized by close high-level exchanges and strong political mutual trust.
The two sides noted a steady increase in bilateral trade, mutually beneficial energy supply and demand, closer cooperation in areas such as transportation, logistics, science and technology, as well as solid dynamics in people-to-people exchanges, Putin added.
Russian-Chinese relations have withstood the tests and strengthened over time, becoming a model of comprehensive strategic coordination, Putin said.
Stressing that the Treaty of Good Neighborhood and Friendly Cooperation is more relevant than ever in the current context, Putin said Russia is ready to work with China to act in the spirit of the treaty, strengthen strategic coordination and practical cooperation, and raise bilateral relations to a higher level.
Noting that bilateral cooperation between Russia and China is an important stabilizing factor in an unstable international environment, Putin said Russia will continue to strengthen multilateral coordination with China, support China in successfully hosting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, jointly strengthen the status and influence of the SCO, consolidate unity and coordination within the BRICS mechanism, uphold the authority of the UN, promote the diversity of civilizations and work towards a fairer and more equitable international order.
MM. Xi and Putin also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and other major international and regional issues.
They took note of the progress reports presented by the co-chairs of the subcommittees at the vice-prime minister level, within the framework of the mechanism of regular meetings between the Chinese and Russian prime ministers, concerning cooperation in areas such as investment, energy, economy and trade, Northeast China and the Russian Far East, as well as people-to-people exchanges.
The foreign ministers of the two countries reported on the coordination and cooperation between China and Russia in international and regional affairs.
At the end of their interviews, MM. Xi and Putin signed and issued a joint statement on strengthening comprehensive strategic coordination and deepening good neighborliness and friendly cooperation between the two countries.
They also witnessed the signing of 20 cooperation documents in sectors such as economy and trade, education and science and technology.
During Mr. Putin’s visit, China and Russia issued a joint declaration in support of a multipolar world and a new type of international relations. The two sides also concluded 20 cooperation agreements in other sectors.
Subsequently, MM. Xi and Putin met with the press together.
Before their meeting, Mr. Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Mr. Putin in front of the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing, marked by performances of military bands, a 21-gun salute and a parade of the guard of honor.
On Wednesday evening, Xi hosted a welcome banquet for Putin in the Golden Great Hall of the Great Hall of the People.
