Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that he believes the profound friendship spanning generations between China and Russia will not change, nor will their sense of responsibility as major countries for the world and for the people.
Xi made the remarks when meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan, Russia.
The Chinese president expressed his great delight in attending the 16th BRICS Summit in the Russian city at the invitation of Putin.
"It gives me great pleasure to come to the ancient Russian city of Kazan at your invitation. Around 400 years ago, the Great Tea Road that connected the two countries went past Kazan, through which tea leaves from China's Wuyi Mountain region found their way into many Russian households," Xi said to Putin.
Noting that earlier this month, he and Putin exchanged congratulatory messages on the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations, Xi said that in the new era, he and Putin have always paid great attention to and steadily steered the direction of China-Russia relations.
"Looking back at this shared journey, China-Russia relations have forged ahead despite wind and rain. We have achieved many groundbreaking results and found the right way for two big, neighboring countries to get along with each other, characterized by non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party," Xi said.
Noting that the world today is confronted with accelerated changes unseen in a century, resulting in a fast-changing and turbulent international landscape, Xi expressed confidence that the profound and lasting friendship between China and Russia will not change, nor will their sense of responsibility as major countries for the world and for the people. In response, Putin expressed welcome for Xi to come for the BRICS Summit held in Kazan, capital city of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan.
"Over the past 75 years, Russia and China have developed into comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and set an example of a new model of major-country relations. We commend the long-standing high-level cooperation between Russia and China within the BRICS framework. I am very glad to have the opportunity to exchange views with you on bilateral relations and international issues before the summit," Putin said.
Xi arrived in Kazan earlier on Tuesday for the 16th BRICS Summit, which is scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday.
Xi says profound China-Russia friendship to remain unchanged
Xi says profound China-Russia friendship to remain unchanged
Xi says profound China-Russia friendship to remain unchanged
