Russia, China to continue working together for prosperity, says Putin

Russia and China will strengthen bilateral ties, boost economic cooperation, and jointly oppose “discriminatory” sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said ahead of his visit to China.

In a written interview with Xinhua, Putin said he will join Chinese President Xi Jinping in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Second World War victory and discuss new avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Putin praised Xi’s May visit to Russia as a “resounding success,” noting its achievements included a comprehensive joint statement and the signing of multiple bilateral agreements. “We reaffirmed the strategic choice of our peoples in favour of strengthening the traditions of good-neighbourliness, friendship, and long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation,” he said.

Highlighting historical ties, Putin stressed the shared sacrifices of Soviet and Chinese citizens during the Second World War, describing China’s resistance against Japan as crucial to the Soviet Union’s ability to fight Nazism. He also lauded China’s preservation of Red Army memorials.

On economic and trade relations, Putin noted unprecedented growth, with bilateral trade rising by around $100 billion since 2021. China is Russia’s largest trading partner, and Russia ranked fifth among China’s foreign trade partners last year. Most transactions are now conducted in rubles and yuan. Russia remains a major exporter of oil, gas, and agricultural products, while joint industrial, high-tech, and infrastructure projects are expanding.

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges also continue to flourish. Putin cited over 51,000 Chinese students in Russia and 21,000 Russian students in China, ongoing science and technology cooperation, sports and film projects, and a 1.5-fold increase in mutual tourism to 2.8 million trips in 2024.

Putin said both countries aim to deepen multilateral engagement through SCO, BRICS, the UN, G20, and APEC, emphasising shared commitment to a fairer, multipolar world order and opposition to discriminatory sanctions.

“We seek progress for the benefit of all humanity. I am confident that Russia and China will continue to work together towards this noble goal, aligning our efforts to ensure the prosperity of our great nations,” he said.

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