Xi: Sino-Russian ties serve as example for major countries

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, shakes hands with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. (DING HAITAO/XINHUA)

President Xi Jinping reiterated on Thursday the principles of "no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no fanning of the flames by any party" with regard to the Ukraine crisis, saying that China will work with the international community to create favorable conditions for a political settlement of the crisis.

He said the principles should be observed to promote the easing of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as soon as possible.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, who was on a working visit to China at the invitation of the CPC.

Medvedev presented to Xi a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said that Russia speaks positively of China's stance on the Ukraine crisis and pays attention to the initiative for a "Friends of Peace" group proposed by China and Brazil.

Russia is willing to actively promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Medvedev added.

Xi hailed the development of Sino-Russian relations, saying the two countries have forged a new path of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between major and neighboring countries, setting an example for a new type of international relations and ties between neighboring major countries.

China is willing to work with Russia to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, tap the intrinsic momentum of bilateral cooperation, and continuously bring benefits to the two countries and peoples, he said.

Xi underlined that China and Russia should enhance communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, and practice true multilateralism, in order to make the international order more just and equitable and jointly safeguard global strategic stability and international fairness and justice.

He also called on both parties to work together on improving global governance, building up consensus among friendly political parties in countries worldwide, especially those in the Global South, and steering the world's development in the right direction.

Medvedev said the current high-level cooperation between Russia and China is the result of joint leadership and promotion by Putin and Xi. Russia will steadfastly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and advance strategic coordination between the two countries, he said.

The United Russia party is willing, through the Russia-China dialogue mechanism between ruling parties, to promote the countries' practical cooperation and facilitate the long-term development of bilateral relations, he added.

On Thursday, Medvedev visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, and he also met with Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body.

China and Russia have maintained close interactions at various levels and across different sectors. The last time Medvedev visited China was in December 2022.

Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, attended Airshow China 2024 held in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, last month. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov made a visit to Beijing in October.