China, Russia vow to bolster ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 24, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

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President Xi Jinping reiterated on Wednesday China"s readiness to work with Russia to support each other on issues concerning core interests, and he called for enhancing all-around bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who made an official visit to China on Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang.

Xi asked Mishustin to convey his sincere greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he recalled his successful state visit to Russia in March, when the two presidents outlined a blueprint for the development of China-Russia relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Consolidating and developing China-Russia relations is not only the shared aspiration of the two peoples, but also the overarching trend of the times, Xi said.

He emphasized that China is willing to work with Russia to firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, and to strengthen mutual coordination within multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and the G20.

Both sides should continue to tap the potential for economic partnership, consolidate and expand fundamentals of cooperation in the fields of energy and mutual connectivity, and create more growth points, he added.

China is willing to work with Russia and other countries of the Eurasian Economic Union to boost the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, advance the building of a more open regional market, and ensure stable and unimpeded global industrial and supply chains, Xi said.

Trade between China and Russia hit a record high of $190.27 billion in 2022. Between January and April, bilateral trade exceeded $73.1 billion, up 41.3 percent over the same period of last year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

Furthermore, energy cooperation continues to be a major stabilizer for the bilateral ties.

During the meeting, Mishustin conveyed Putin"s warm greetings and best wishes to Xi, saying that Xi"s historic state visit to Russia in March opened a new era of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

Russia is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, fully utilize the regular meetings between the two prime ministers and relevant cooperation mechanisms, and deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, he said.

The prime minister added that Russia stands ready to work with China to promote the multipolarization of the world and consolidate the international order based on international law.

Premier Li gave Mishustin a grand welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday before they held official talks. They also witnessed the signing of an array of cooperation documents.

Noting that strong resilience, great potential and broad prospects remain in pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, Li said that China is willing to work with Russia to optimize the trade structure, further enrich trade categories, expand cooperation in the fields of agricultural service trade and digital economy, facilitate trade and businesses, and improve customs clearance efficiency.

Li called for strengthening subnational cooperation, promoting people-to-people exchanges, and expanding collaboration in such fields as education, science and technology, culture, tourism, sports and health.

Mishustin hailed the fruitful cooperation between the two countries, saying that the Russia-China relationship enjoys special, exemplary significance in international relations.

Against the backdrop of the turbulent international situation, Russia is willing to work with China to effectively respond to the new challenges faced by both countries, Mishustin said.