China assesses relations with Russia

Bilateral ties between Russia and China are healthy and developing with stability, meeting the common interests of the two nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday, as reported by RIA Novosti.

At a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing, Wang highlighted that the relations between the two countries are driven by a powerful internal force, unaffected by global changes or external interference.

“Under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese-Russian ties maintain a healthy and stable development dynamic, not only meeting the common interests of the two countries, but jointly contribute to ensuring stability of international relations as well as protection of international laws and the UN Charter,” the minister said.

China is satisfied with relations with Russia, according to Wang, who called for maintaining strategic cooperation at all levels and in all areas.

Rudenko in turn praised Russia’s ties with China, saying that relations between the two nations have never been better. The deputy FM pointed to a series of agreements reached by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan.

China is Russia’s biggest trade partner and the economic cooperation between the two nations has been steadily increasing despite unprecedented Western sanctions on Moscow. Russian-Chinese trade reached $82 billion over the first nine months of the year according to Russian media, which cited customs data from Beijing.

The two nations are commemorating the 75th anniversary of Moscow’s establishment of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.