Fresh impetus to ties with Russia

By holding their second face-to-face talks within three months, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have infused new vitality into bilateral ties and further boosted cooperation.

The frequency of their top-level meetings is an indication both of the increasing friendship between Beijing and Moscow and of the deepening personal friendship between the two leaders, and these are two cornerstones for the future development of China-Russia relations, says a Xinhua News Agency commentary.

Hailing China as a reliable friend, Putin said on Monday in Moscow that expanding cooperation with China is undoubtedly Russia's diplomatic priority. With bilateral trade nearing $90 billion in 2013 and their political coordination growing smoother, China and Russia have kept advancing their relations. On Wednesday the two sides signed a long-term contract on Russian gas supply to China.