PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PRESIDENT XI JINPING VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING

Written by Michael Thervil

ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT FOR THIS MEETING CAN BE FOUND HERE

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PRESIDENT XI JINPING VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING | VIDEO COURTESY OF THE KREMLIN

[Vladimir Putin Xi Jinping videoconference] Russian President Vladimir Putin held a videoconference meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to not only congratulate President Xi Jinping on his presidential achievements as Chinese New Year celebrations are set to take place, but to ensure that both diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries remain strong and healthy. During the videoconference both world leaders came to the agreement that their strategic partnership is one that is built upon stability and trust as well as a model that the international community should take notice of.

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PRESIDENT XI JINPING VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE KREMLIN

President Putin also made it a point to highlight the fact that bilateral trade between the two countries “bilateral trade has been considerably above $200 billion for three years in a row” and that “agricultural trade has increased by over 20 percent” between Russia and China. President Putin also went on to inform President Xi that because of visa free travel, “over 56,000 Chinese students are studying in Russia and over 21,000 Russian students in China. There are dozens of Russian-Chinese educational institutions and university associations”. Upon hearing the news President Xi appeared to be pleased.

President Putin also took the time out to reassure President Xi that Russia will remain committed to not only being a cooperative partner within the United Nations (UN), but with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and BRICS. President Xi Jinping also took the time out to congratulate President Putin on his resiliency and his ability to lead the Russian people during times of international turbulence with the full faith that Russia will help propel China-Russia relations “into a new phase of development”. 

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PRESIDENT XI JINPING VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING | RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADMIR PUTIN | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE KREMLIN

 President Xi also appeared to be both optimistic and committed to the further maintaining and development of diplomatic relations between the two countries, he ended the videoconference by stating: “By continually deepening our strategic coordination and jointly shouldering our responsibilities as major countries, we can ensure that China-Russia relations continue their steady and sustained advancement on the correct long-term trajectory”.