China, Russia agree to upgrade relations for new era

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07:24

‍China and Russia have agreed to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, a decision made at a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

Calling Putin his old friend, President Xi spoke highly of the traditional friendship between the two countries. "This time marks my eighth visit to Russia," President Xi said.

Xi and Putin, the helmsmen of China-Russia friend 'ship'

This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, which "is the best time for Sino-Russian relations," according to President Xi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sign a cooperation agreement in Moscow, Russia, June 5, 2019. /Screenshot from CGTN Live

The Chinese president has also lauded the fruitful achievements made through cooperation in traditional fields including aviation and agriculture while vowing to promote cooperation in new fields, such as e-commerce.

He called for more people-to-people exchanges to be carried out.

On his part, Putin first described the talk between the two leaders as "highly efficient."

According to Putin, China is one of the major trading partners of his country with a record high volume of 100 billion U.S. dollars.

Russian President Vladimir Putin talks at the press conference in Moscow, Russia, June 5, 2019. /Reuters Photo

The Russian president said the two sides will further promote ties in areas including energy resources and sports.

Moscow and Beijing have both agreed that the Korean Peninsula issue needs to be addressed in a peaceful way, he added.

The two leaders' press conference was held after witnessing the signing of a series of documents between the two countries. Those include joint declarations on promoting global stability and lifting bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and several cooperation deals in fields including medicine, aviation, education and trade.

President Xi is now on a three-day state visit to Russia. He is scheduled to attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which kicks off on Thursday.

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