Chinese Vice President Han Zheng Meets Putin, Vows to Strengthen Political Trust and Cooperation

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, upon invitation, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on local time June 5. Han Zheng conveyed greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Han stated that the key to the stability and resilience of China-Russia relations amid a turbulent international landscape lies in the leadership of the two heads of state. The two leaders recently met in Beijing, reaching new important consensus on bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields. He emphasized, 'China is willing to work with Russia to implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, continuously consolidate political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and closely coordinate internationally to constantly enrich the contemporary connotation of China-Russia relations.' Han stressed that both China and Russia are important constructive forces in maintaining global strategic stability and improving global governance. A high-level China-Russia relationship is an inevitable requirement for the development and revitalization of both countries, as well as a responsibility of the era to promote world peace and stable development. He expressed hope for strengthening coordination to build a more just and reasonable global governance system. According to a report by Sputnik News on June 6, Putin stated during the meeting that Russia-China trade is growing steadily and expressed hope this momentum would continue. Putin noted that Russia-China relations are at an unprecedented high level. This year, the two countries will jointly celebrate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the 'Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation' and launch the 'Russia-China Years of Education.' Russia is willing to deepen political mutual trust and good-neighborly friendship with China, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and contribute stability to world peace and development with the certainty of Russia-China relations. Putin paid a state visit to China from May 19 to 20, meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Treaty, the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. China's Foreign Ministry previously announced that Han Zheng would visit Russia from the 4th to the 8th to attend the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and would also visit Belarus.