MOSCOW: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin here on the bilateral ties and major regional and international issues of mutual interest, and reached new, important common understandings in many fields.
The two sides agreed to follow the principles of good-neighbourliness, friendship and win-win cooperation in advancing exchanges and cooperation in various fields and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.
Putin held a solemn welcome ceremony for Xi at the St. George’s Hall on his arrival at the Kremlin.
The two presidents held small-group talks first and then large-group talks, reported Xinhua.
Xi pointed out that China and Russia are each other’s biggest neighbour and that consolidating and developing long-term good-neighbourly relations with Russia is consistent with historical logic and a strategic choice of China, which will not be changed by any turn of events.
Since his first state visit to Russia 10 years ago, China and Russia have enjoyed mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefit, Xi said, adding that relations between the two countries have grown from strength to strength, showing the features of being more comprehensive, more practical, and more strategic.
No matter how the international landscape may change, China will stay committed to advancing the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, he said, adding this state visit to Russia is a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace. China is ready to work with Russia to build on past achievements, enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, bring more benefits to the two peoples and make greater contribution to human progress.
Xi noted that changes unseen in a century are evolving faster and the international balance of power is undergoing a profound shift. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world, China and Russia have natural responsibilities to make joint efforts to steer and promote global governance in a direction that meets the expectations of the international community and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
The two sides should support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests, and jointly resist the interference in internal affairs by external forces, he said, calling on the two sides to enhance communication and coordination on international affairs, especially in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS and other multilateral frameworks, practice true multilateralism, oppose hegemonism and power politics, contribute to global post-Covid economic recovery, advance the trend toward a multi-polar world, and promote the reform and improvement of the global governance system.
China and Russia have enjoyed deepening political mutual trust, convergence of interests, and understanding between the peoples, Xi said, adding that their cooperation in such areas as the economy and trade, investment, energy, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and at the subnational levels have made continued progress.
Xi said that the two sides need to strengthen overall coordination, boost trade in traditional areas, such as energy, resources, and electromechanical products, continuously enhance the resilience of industrial and supply chains, expand cooperation in such areas as information technology, the digital economy, agriculture and trade in services. They should step up cooperation in areas of innovation and facilitate cross-border logistics and transportation, he added.
The two sides should cement the cornerstone of people-to-people exchanges, he said, calling for efforts to encourage more interactions between sister provinces/states and between sister cities, ensure the success of the Years of Sports Exchange, and facilitate the personnel movement between the two countries.
Putin once again extended Russia’s warm congratulations on Xi’s re-election as President of China by unanimous vote and the formation of a new government in China. He said that Russia-China relations are developing very well, and that good progress has been made in all fields of bilateral cooperation.
Putin expressed hope that the two sides will make full use of their existing channels of exchange and work for new progress in practical cooperation in various fields, including the economy and trade, investment, energy, space and cross-border transportation and logistics, and bring people-to-people and cultural exchanges in sports and tourism and at subnational levels to new heights.
Russia firmly supports China in upholding its legitimate interests on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, Putin said, adding Russia congratulates China on helping to successfully bring about historic outcomes from the talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Beijing, which fully demonstrates China’s important status and positive influence as a major country in the world.
Russia appreciates China for consistently upholding an objective and impartial position on international affairs, supports the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative China has put forward, and stands ready to further enhance international coordination with China, he said.
Xi and Putin believe the exchange between the two sides during the visit is in-depth, rich and comprehensive and has injected new impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.
After the talks, Xi and Putin jointly signed a Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era and a Joint Statement of the President of the People’s Republic of China and the President of the Russian Federation on Pre-2030 Development Plan on Priorities in China-Russia Economic Cooperation.
During the visit, the two sides also signed bilateral cooperation documents in such areas as agriculture, forestry, basic scientific and technological research, market regulation, and the media. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
