Chinese President Xi Jinping Says China Ready to Strengthen Cooperation With Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated that China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Russia. The two nations reportedly want to “develop and establish a bigger regional market” while ensuring “a more stable and robust global supply chain” in order to “bring real and tangible benefits to the countries in the region.”

China and Russia to Strengthen Cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing on Wednesday. During their meeting, Xi told the Russian official that China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Russia, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Xi stated that in addition to strengthening cooperation across multilateral platforms, such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the BRICS, and the G20, China and Russia should explore “potential” new economic, trade, and investment relations.

The Chinese leader told Mishustin: “We hope that the two sides will continue to take advantage of … the strong momentum of Sino-Russian cooperation, elevate cooperation in various fields … and continuously enrich the content of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between our two countries in the new era.” He was further quoted as saying:

China is ready to work with Russia and countries of the Eurasian Economic Union to promote and connect the Belt and Road Initiative with the union in order to develop and establish a bigger regional market, ensure a more stable and robust global supply chain so [we can] bring real and tangible benefits to the countries in the region.

Responding to Xi’s statements, Mishustin said Russia is “ready to work with China to promote multipolarization in the world and consolidate the international order based on international law.”

Xi emphasized China’s commitment to offer firm support to Russia on matters related to the two nations’ respective core interests and enhance cooperation in multilateral forums. He commended the substantial level of mutual trust and coordination between China and Russia, stating that it “set an example of a new type of international relations.”

Prior to visiting Beijing and meeting Xi, Mishustin attended a Russian-Chinese Business Forum in Shanghai. At the forum, the chairman of Russia’s national economic development institution VEB.RF urged China and Russia to speed up the establishment of a new, “cutting-edge” payment system for SCO and BRICS currencies. Mishustin said: