China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Xi, Putin vow to boost ties, peace
Presidents meet, witness pacts signed on forum sidelines in Russia
President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday that regardless of changes in the international situation, the two countries will firmly develop bilateral relations and safeguard global peace and stability.
The two presidents held talks and jointly met with the press on the sidelines of the fourth Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia. It was the first time Xi attended the forum, which was proposed by Putin in 2015.
China and Russia signed a number of cooperation documents, witnessed by the two presidents, covering such areas as finance, investment, sports, media and local government exchanges.
The two leaders agreed that the Sino-Russian relationship has entered a new period of higher-level and faster development.
Xi noted that he had already met with Putin in Beijing and Johannesburg this year, with fruitful outcomes achieved. The frequent exchanges show the high level and special quality of bilateral ties, he said.
With joint efforts made by the two sides, the political advantages of bilateral relations have been translated into practical outcomes, Xi said.
Xi called on the two sides to strengthen their traditional friendship, enhance comprehensive coordination, push bilateral ties to higher level and benefit the people of both countries.
Xi stressed that the two countries should deepen coordination of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, expand cooperation in energy, agriculture, scientific innovation and finance, and jointly enhance development of high technologies.
The two countries should take the opportunity of the Year for China-Russia Local Government Exchanges — both this year and next — to enhance local-level cooperation, Xi said.
It’s a good tradition for China and Russia to support major events hosted by either side, Xi said, adding that the forum, proposed by Putin, has become an important platform to gather wisdom from all sides and discuss regional cooperation.
Xi said the two countries should take responsibility for safeguarding global peace and promoting prosperity.
Both countries should enhance coordination under multilateral frameworks including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, jointly safeguard global justice and peace, oppose unilateralism and trade protectionism, and promote building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.
Putin expressed gratitude and welcomed Xi’s attendance at the forum, saying that the frequent meetings between the two leaders showed the high level of Russia-China ties.
The two sides should continue to boost synergy between the Eurasian Economic Union and the BRI, enhance cooperation in investment, energy, aerospace, finance and ecommerce, and boost peopleto-people exchanges while promoting local government cooperation, Putin said.
Putin said the two nations should enhance coordination in global affairs, resist unilateralism, safeguard global order and work to achieve common development.
President Xi Jinping has called on China and Russia to further step up cooperation at local levels, refine the policy environment and create a more enabling atmosphere for businesses to make investments.
Xi made the remark as he attended the dialogue between local leaders from China and Russia together with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Tuesday. Xi is in the city to attend the fourth Eastern Economic Forum.
Xi said cooperation at local levels is playing an increasingly important role in bilateral relations, and that cooperation also faces new situations, tasks and demands as well as historic opportunities in the new era.
The two sides should give play to the role of local governments to enable better coordination and encourage more friendship between local areas so that businesses from both sides have more convenient conditions for cooperation.
There should be more innovative ideas for cooperation and expanded cooperative areas so that platforms for teamwork can be put to better use, he said, adding that current mechanisms should be better developed and new methods of regional collaboration should be explored.
The two sides should also take greater advantage of complementary strengths and local characteristics, he said.
Cultural and people-topeople exchanges should be further promoted so that the social foundation of cooperation can be further consolidated, he said.
Xi added that the two countries should push forward more institutionalized and regular exchanges in areas including local culture, tourism, education and media so that bilateral recognition and favorable impressions can be further enhanced.
Xi and Putin have designated 2018 and 2019 as years to focus on cooperation and exchanges between the two countries at local levels.
China is the largest trading partner as well as source of foreign direct investment in Russia’s Far East, according to Li Hui, Chinese ambassador to Russia.
There are about 140 provincial areas or cities in China that have close, friendly relations with their Russian counterparts, Li wrote in an article published on Tuesday.
The two sides have also established the Yangtze River-Volga River and China’s Northeast-Russia’s Far East cooperative mechanisms for regional cooperation, he said.
They are also working to develop international transportation corridors, including roads linking Chinese cities with ports in the Russian Far East as well as a bridge across the Heilongjiang River, according to the ambassador.
On Tuesday, Xi and Putin visited the Far East Street exhibition, a part of the Eastern Economic Forum, which includes many Chinese elements in a nod to the close partnership between China and Russia.