Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the “growing” mutual trust between the two countries during a meeting in Beijing with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Chinese state media said.
Mr. Xi also called for Sino-Russian “efforts” to ensure “international fairness and justice,” Xinhua news agency said on the sidelines of the New Silk Roads forum organized in the Chinese capital.
The Chinese head of state also praised “the close and effective strategic coordination” between the two countries.
“The bilateral trade volume has reached an all-time high and is approaching the target of $200 billion set by both sides,” Xi added.
The Chinese president also recalled that he had met Vladimir Putin “42 times in the last decade” and that the two men had “developed a good working relationship and a deep friendship.”
China welcomes representatives from 130 countries to Beijing this week for the New Silk Roads Forum (officially called the Belt and Road), a massive overseas infrastructure development project launched by Xi Jinping a decade ago.
Vladimir Putin is the guest of honor at this summit, which runs until Wednesday.
The Russian president is visiting a major world power for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which led to the breakdown of relations between Russia and other countries.
China is Russia’s largest trading partner. According to Chinese customs, trade between the two countries reached a record $190 billion last year.
Chinese diplomacy has been criticized by the West on the Ukraine issue. Because while it calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries – including Ukraine – it has never publicly condemned Moscow.
Russia, heavily sanctioned by the West for its offensive against Ukraine, is seeking to strengthen its already very close ties with China, which appears to have gained the upper hand in its bilateral relations – unbalanced since Russia’s weakening due to the war.