Russia-China relations continue to develop despite challenging international situation, says Putin

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Moscow, May 15 (IANS) On the eve of his two-day state visit to China, which starts on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a written interview with Xinhua that Russia and China are promoting the prosperity of both nations through expanded equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in economic and cultural fields.

In the interview, Putin emphasised that the coordination of foreign policies between the two countries is propelling the establishment of a fair multipolar world order, which underpins the future success of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

Putin highlighted that contemporary Russia-China relations transcend ideology and are a strategic choice made independently by the two countries regardless of the political situation. This choice is grounded in the extensive common interests, deep mutual trust, strong public support, and genuine friendship between the people of the two countries. Both nations are jointly committed to safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security.

"In a broader sense, we are working to contribute to the development and prosperity of Russia and China by enhancing equal, mutually beneficial economic and humanitarian cooperation and strengthening foreign policy coordination in the interests of building a just multipolar world order. All this is the key to the future success of our comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era," said Putin.

He noted that the partnership between Russia and China is always based on equality and mutual trust, mutual respect for sovereignty, and consideration of each other's interests.

President Xi Jinping, a wise and visionary leader, plays a special and prominent role in the development of bilateral relations, he added.

"We first met back in March 2010, and we have been seeing and calling each other regularly ever since. President Xi maintains a respectful, friendly, open and at the same time business-like style of communication," Putin said, adding that each meeting was not only a dialogue between old friends but also a fruitful exchange of views on bilateral and international agendas.

Putin recalled that in 2013, President Xi chose Russia as the first destination of his state visit as China's head of state. After being re-elected as Chinese President in March last year, his first state visit was again to Russia. They spent nearly five hours together, holding one-on-one in-depth talks, followed by a day of substantive official events.

"This unprecedented level of strategic partnership between our countries determined my choice of China as the first state to be visited after the official inauguration as the president of the Russian Federation," Putin emphasised.

He pointed out that the deep and long-standing friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Russia and China has established one of the most important pillars of bilateral relations.

Today, relations between Russia and China have reached their highest level in history, and despite a challenging international situation, the relationship continues to develop, he added.

Putin underscored that this year is special for both countries, noting that October marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which is celebrating this significant historical moment with outstanding achievements.

As a long-standing and reliable friend, Russia welcomes China's accomplishments, he said, adding that for three-quarters of a century, the two countries have navigated a long and sometimes difficult path, drawing lessons from different stages of their relations.

Today, they recognise that complementary advantages are injecting strong momentum into the comprehensive and rapid development of bilateral ties, he said.

--IANS

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