The Chinese president has invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to visit China this year, Xi Jinping announced in Moscow on Monday.
“On Monday, I invited President Putin to visit China this year as soon as it suits him,” Xi said at the start of a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The invitation was for the holding of the third forum dedicated to the “Belt and Road” initiative, a gigantic international infrastructure project launched by China, which envisages the construction of highways, ports or rail links, with a view to opening new trade routes between eastern Asia and Europe.
Xi said that the new Chinese Premier Li Qiang will prioritize developing the partnership with Russia. The Chinese head of state also asked Mishustin to visit China “as soon as possible”.
The Chinese leader traveled to the headquarters of the Russian government before visiting the Kremlin, where he will meet Putin again.
Xi and Mishustin shook hands and posed in front of the Chinese and Russian flags for a formal photo shoot.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your re-election as President of the People’s Republic of China. And I would like to sincerely thank you for the great personal attention you pay to the development of friendship and partnership between Russia and China,” said Mishustin.
The prime minister also stressed the importance of this being Xi’s first overseas trip since he was reappointed as head of state at the plenary session of the National People’s Congress this month. Xi’s victory for a third term is unprecedented in the history of communist China and cements his status as the most powerful Chinese leader in recent decades.
“This shows the special nature of Sino-Chinese relations, which are entering a new era,” he stressed.
Mishustin said he was confident that important agreements would be reached in the talks between Putin and Xi.
“Today, talks will take place with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, in the Kremlin. Important decisions on the development of cooperation between Russia and China are expected to be made by 2030,” he said.
The Prime Minister assured that the two governments will work in a coordinated manner to implement the agreements reached at the highest level.
“We in Russia are genuinely interested in further strengthening our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation with China. Our relations are at the highest level in many centuries of history and are influencing the shaping of the global agenda, in the logic of multipolarity” said the Russian Prime Minister.
Mishustin noted that most members of the Russian government attend the meeting with Xi.
“The coordination of our common work is ensured by the mechanism of regular meetings between the heads of government of Russia and China. This is a unique format with five intergovernmental committees and more than 80 subcommittees and working groups,” he stressed.
The investment portfolio of the Russia-China Intergovernmental Investment Cooperation Commission includes 79 projects, with a combined value of more than $165 billion, he added.
Mishustin also said he was confident that trade between Russia and China would already reach $200 billion this year, and not in 2024 as originally planned.
Last year, trade rose nearly a third to about $190 billion.
The Russian Prime Minister stressed that despite the unfavorable external situation, the turmoil on world markets and the imposition of sanctions by the West, trade and economic cooperation between Russia and China is developing well.
Source: DN
