Putin hails Xi as his reliable partner

Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to President Xi Jinping as a reliable partner and good friend ahead of his trip to China for a state visit and attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

Putin made the remarks in an interview on May 31 with the China Media Group at the Kremlin, and the transcript was published by the Russian Presidential Executive Office on Wednesday.

Putin said, "He (Xi) is a very accessible and sincere person. But at the same time, he is a very reliable partner."