Xi meets Russian Federation Council speaker

BEIJING, (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with visiting Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Beijing.

Xi noted that with joint efforts of both sides, China-Russia relations have maintained a sound and steady development momentum, with steady progress in cooperation in various fields. The social foundations and popular support for the long-term friendship between the two countries have become more solid.

“During my state visit to Russia in March this year, President Putin and I reached new and important consensus on deepening bilateral comprehensive strategic coordination and practical cooperation in various fields,” Xi said, noting that the development of China-Russia relations is a strategic choice that the two countries have made based on the fundamental interests of their respective countries and peoples.

China will continue to work with Russia to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, featuring mutual assistance, in-depth integration, innovation and win-win outcomes for all, so as to boost the development and revitalization of the two countries and promote the construction of a prosperous, stable, fair and just world, Xi said.

Noting that legislative cooperation is an important part of China-Russia relations, Xi expressed the hope that the two sides will work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote and guarantee the sustained and sound development of bilateral cooperation in various fields from the legislative level, strengthen exchanges of experience in legislation and state governance, and push cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries to a new level.

He called on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, guide the reform of global governance in the right direction, and safeguard the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries.

Matviyenko said the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination conforms to the interests of the two countries and the will of the two peoples, and has reached its highest level in history and continues to develop steadily. President Xi’s successful state visit to Russia in March has injected strong impetus into the development of Russia-China relations.

The Russian Federation Council supports deepening Russia-China cooperation and is willing to strengthen exchanges with China’s National People’s Congress to provide a legal guarantee for the implementation of the consensus of the two heads of state, Matviyenko said. ■

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)