——— Xi, Putin exchange congratulations on 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations
BEIJING: As Wednesday marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, expressing Beijing’s hope of future growth of its relationship with Moscow.
Underlining the great importance he attaches to the development of Sino-Russian ties, Xi said he is ready to work with Putin and take the occasion of the 75th anniversary as an opportunity to firmly steer bilateral relations in the right direction.
Xi vowed to continue expanding all-around practical cooperation and jointly promoting the high-quality development and modernization of the two countries.
The goal is to “make fresh contributions to safeguarding world peace and stability, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind”, he said.
Three-quarters of a century ago, Russia was the first country in the world to recognize the People’s Republic of China, and the two nations quickly established a close collaborative relationship.
In his message to Xi, Putin said the close and mutually beneficial ties between Russia and China have stood the test of time.
Hailing the current Russia-China relationship as being in the best shape of all time, Putin said the two sides have earnestly carried out cooperation in areas including politics, trade and economy, and science and technology.
Both countries have efficiently coordinated in international and regional affairs, and worked together to build a just and multipolar world order, he added.
Analysts said the two countries have established systematic and comprehensive mechanisms for high-level exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and their pragmatic cooperation enjoys strong impetus and has huge potential.
Zhang Hanhui, China’s ambassador to Russia, said that Xi and Putin have met more than 40 times, establishing close working links and forging a deep friendship.
The two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era “has set a role model for the international community in terms of shaping a new type of major country relations”, Zhang said in a signed article published on Tuesday on the embassy’s website.
China has been Russia’s top trading partner for 14 consecutive years, while Russia has grown to become China’s eighth-largest trading partner. Annual bilateral trade reached $240.1 billion last year, up 26.3 percent year-on-year, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
