Addis Ababa, January 21, 2025 (FMC) – On the afternoon of January 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart had a virtual meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry announced in a press release.
The two presidents exchanged New Year greetings as the Chinese president expressed his pleasure in having a virtual meeting with President Putin just a few days before the Chinese Spring Festival, and shared his hope for a flourishing China-Russia relationship in the year ahead.
The statement noted that President Putin wished President Xi and the Chinese people a happy Spring Festival and all the best.
During the course of their discussion, President Xi recalled the three meetings he had with President Putin in 2024 and the “many important common understandings they reached.” In 2024, the two countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The bilateral relationship, centering on the spirit of lasting good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation, demonstrated renewed vitality.
The China-Russia Years of Culture had many highlights. Practical cooperation made steady progress. Two-way trade maintained growth momentum. Close coordination in such multilateral fora as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS provided more positive energy to the reform and development of the global governance system.
The Chinese leader stressed his readiness to work with his Russian counterpart and guide China-Russia relations to a new height in 2025, to respond to external uncertainties with the stability and resilience of China-Russia ties, to boost the development and prosperity of both countries, and to uphold international fairness and justice.
He underscored the need for the two countries to deepen strategic coordination, firmly support each other, and defend their legitimate interests. He also noted the need to cement and expand bilateral relations with a view to deepening practical cooperation.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin noted that Russia and China always trust each other, support each other, and treat each other as equals, and that the bilateral cooperation, which serves the interests of both peoples, has remained impervious to shifts in the international landscape. It is good to see that bilateral trade and energy cooperation keeps sound momentum, mutual visits by tourists are on the rise, and the two sides have close communication and collaboration in multilateral arena.
The Russian leader noted that this year, Russia will work with China to strengthen cooperation in multilateral affairs and play a positive role for world peace and development.
The two presidents also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in 2025.