Xi, Putin hail deepening Sino-Russian cooperation

President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for concerted efforts by China and Russia to cope with the risks and challenges the world is facing and to jointly oppose hegemony and unilateralism.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark in a congratulatory message delivered to the eighth meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia, which was held via video link.

China and Russia, as responsible major countries and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, should continue to strengthen strategic communication and coordination to make new and greater contributions to upholding world peace and stability, safeguarding international fairness and justice and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

He commended the mutual assistance between the two countries in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, and said their support for each other and opposition to external interference demonstrated the special nature and high-level development of China-Russia relations in the new era.

The novel coronavirus pandemic is still raging globally, Xi added, and this once again proves that mankind is a community with a shared future, and all countries must respond to the pandemic with solidarity and cooperation.

He urged participants in the meeting to develop in-depth exchanges and communication to contribute their wisdom and efforts to deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic coordination in the new era.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a congratulatory message to the meeting, saying that Russia-China relations have reached an unprecedented high level and set a good example for state-to-state coordination.

Both countries have made coordinated efforts in addressing regional and global issues and jointly safeguarding international security and stability, Putin said.

In less than four months, Xi and Putin had four telephone conversations on cooperation in the fight against the virus, bilateral ties and other issues. Bilateral trade increased by 3.4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year.

Addressing the meeting, Song Tao, minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, called on the two countries to continuously intensify strategic coordination, strengthen exchanges in governance experience and step up political support for each other.

The two parties should strengthen communications on crucial issues such as opposition to sanctions and interference, and firmly support each other in pursuing a development path that suits their own national conditions and upholding their national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Boris Gryzlov, chairman of United Russia's Supreme Council, attended the meeting, which also involved senior officials responsible for cooperation between regions of the two countries.