China’s President, Xi Jinping, has on Sunday 31 December 2023, disclosed that the foundation of Sino-Russian ties had grown stronger in 2023, as he exchanged New Year greetings with his counterpart Vladimir Putin.
He said that Beijing and Moscow are strong allies and have strengthened their relationship even as Western countries have turned their backs on Russia over its military invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
While referring to Putin as a ‘ good friend’, Xi stated that both sides have also made much of the personal relationship.
In his recap of the year on CCTV, the president maintained that the material and public opinion foundation of their relationship has become stronger.
“In the face of changes unseen in a century and a turbulent regional and international situation, China-Russia relations have maintained healthy and stable development and moved steadily in the right direction,” Xi added.
The Chinese president revealed that under their joint leadership, political mutual trust between the two sides has further deepened and that strategic coordination has drawn closer, and mutually beneficial cooperation has continued to achieve new results.
He added that the volume of bilateral trade exceeded $200 billion ahead of schedule, and said Beijing was looking forward to marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties in the coming year( 2024).
Xi further stated that during a visit to Beijing by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin this month, maintaining close ties with Moscow was a ‘strategic choice’.
