Xi, Putin highlight mutual ties in greetings

President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged New Year greetings on Sunday, with both leaders vowing to continue promoting bilateral ties in 2024, when the two countries will celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and kick off the China-Russia Year of Culture.

In his message to Putin, Xi extended his sincere congratulations and best wishes to President Putin and the Russian people.

Xi pointed out that in 2023, despite facing changes unseen in a century and turbulent international and regional situations, China-Russia relations maintained healthy and stable development, steadily moving forward in the right direction.

He recalled the two meetings with Putin in Moscow and in Beijing in the past year, saying that under their joint leadership, mutual political trust between the two countries has deepened, strategic cooperation has become closer, and mutually beneficial cooperation has achieved new results.

The trade volume between China and Russia reached the target of $200 billion ahead of schedule and the Year of Sports Exchange concluded successfully, further solidifying the foundation of the countries' ties, he said.

Xi emphasized that the China-Russia relationship over nearly three quarters of a century has shown that continuously consolidating and developing the permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between China and Russia is in the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples, and also meets the expectations of the international community and conforms to the trend of the times.

Xi said that he is willing to maintain close exchanges with Putin, and take the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries as an opportunity to lead the two countries to continuously enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation, carry forward friendship, and ensure that China-Russia relations steadily move forward on the right path.

Putin extended his warm New Year greetings to Xi and the friendly Chinese people in his congratulatory message.

He recollected his two meetings with Xi in the past year, and said that with the joint efforts of both sides, the fruitful cooperation between the two countries in various fields will achieve greater results. The countries' cooperation within the frameworks of the United Nations, G20, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS will also make new progress, he added.

On Sunday, Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also exchanged New Year greetings. They pledged to enhance communication and cooperation to take bilateral relations to a higher level.

caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn