BEIJING, Dec. 31 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday exchanged New Year greetings with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended sincere congratulations and best wishes to Putin and the Russian people.
Xi said that 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic relations, a new significant milestone in the bilateral relationship.
In the extraordinary journey over the past 75 years, China-Russia relations have grown more mature and stable, he said.
In face of the accelerated transformation unseen in a century and a volatile international landscape, China and Russia always move forward hand in hand along the right path of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party, Xi said.
Over the past year, the two heads of state held three meetings in Beijing, Astana, and Kazan, and maintained communication through phone calls, exchanges of letters, and other means, Xi said, adding that they had candid exchanges of views and reached broad consensus on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern.
The political mutual trust and strategic coordination between the two sides have been advancing toward higher levels under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, he added.
Practical cooperation in various fields has yielded tangible outcomes, such as the completion of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline, and the successful launch of the China-Russia Years of Culture has fostered a closer bond connecting the two peoples through generations, Xi said.
China and Russia also support each other as chairs of the BRICS mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), contributing significantly to solidarity and cooperation among the Global South, he added.
Noting that 2025 marks the conclusion of China's 14th Five-Year Plan period and the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, Xi said that no matter how the international landscape evolves, China remains committed to deepening comprehensive reforms, advancing Chinese modernization, and promoting global peace and development.
Xi also expressed confidence that China-Russia cooperation in various fields would continue to create new opportunities for growth.
The Chinese president voiced readiness to maintain close exchanges with Putin and keep China-Russia cooperation on the right course so as to continue consolidating and deepening China-Russia ties featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, injecting strong momentum into the development and modernization of the two countries, and contributing to the well-being of the two peoples and safeguarding international fairness and justice.
For his part, Putin extended heartfelt New Year and Spring Festival greetings to Xi, wishing the Chinese people happiness and good health.
He noted that in 2024, the two countries jointly celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of their bilateral ties.
Recalling his three successful meetings with Xi in 2024, Putin said that they have advanced the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era to new heights.
The mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in such areas as economy, trade, energy, transportation, science, and technology is progressing in an orderly manner, and the successful launch of the Russia-China Years of Culture has created more opportunities to expand people-to-people exchanges, he said.
Looking ahead to 2025, Putin said that he stands ready to maintain close communication with Xi to jointly promote the development of bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, and further strengthen coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, BRICS, the SCO and the G20.
Such efforts, he noted, will not only fully serve the interests of the two peoples but also contribute to international and regional security and stability.
On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also exchanged New Year greetings.
Li said that under the strategic guidance of Xi and Putin, the two sides have leveraged the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties to promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of bilateral relations.
China stands ready to work with Russia to take the important consensus reached by the two heads of state as a foundation for advancing China-Russia relations and cooperation in various fields to new heights, Li noted.
Russia is willing to maintain constructive exchanges based on a high degree of mutual trust with China, Mishustin said, expressing his belief that the consensus reached by the two sides would help elevate bilateral cooperation.
