Chinese President Xi Jinping has praised the strong and stable relationship between China and Russia, calling it a “strategic choice” and a “model of international cooperation” in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
The two leaders exchanged greetings and congratulations on the upcoming 2024 New Year and the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia, according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Xi said that the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has maintained a high level of development, despite the complex and changing international situation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the two countries have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, and have coordinated closely on regional and global affairs, such as the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, and climate change.
Xi also said that China and Russia have jointly safeguarded international fairness and justice, opposed unilateralism and hegemonism, and promoted the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.
He added that China is willing to work with Russia to deepen their strategic cooperation in various fields, such as trade, energy, science and technology, aerospace, and people-to-people exchanges, and to enhance their coordination within multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the BRICS.
Xi also expressed his appreciation for Putin’s support for China’s hosting of the 2024 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and said that China will actively support Russia’s hosting of the 2024 World Cup.
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Putin, for his part, said that the Russia-China relationship is at its best in history, and that the two countries have become an important force for maintaining world peace and stability.
He said that Russia is ready to work with China to further consolidate their political mutual trust, expand their practical cooperation, and strengthen their coordination on regional and international issues.
He also thanked China for its support for Russia’s hosting of the 2024 World Cup, and said that Russia will support China’s hosting of the 2024 Winter Olympics.
The phone call came amid rising tensions between the US and both China and Russia over a range of issues, such as Taiwan, Ukraine, human rights, and cyberattacks.
The US has recently imposed sanctions on both countries, and has sought to rally its allies and partners to counter their influence and activities.
China and Russia have denounced the US actions as interference in their internal affairs and threats to their sovereignty and security, and have vowed to defend their interests and respond accordingly.
