Sino-Russian Cooperation Enters New Phase: FM SpokesmanChina and Russia have ushered in a new phase of bilateral cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Tuesday.Zhu made the remark here at a regular press conference in response to a question about the ongoing visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to China. This is Putin's first state visit to China as the Russian president, and China attaches great importance to the trip, Zhu said. He said that China had hoped the two countries would be able to work together to draft the framework of the relationship between the two countries. That goal has been fulfilled, the spokesman said, as illustrated by the summit between Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Putin and the documents signed after the meeting. He told the press that the documents include the Beijing declaration of China and Russia, and a joint statement of Chinese and Russian presidents on the anti-ballistic missile issue Jiang and Putin signed. The spokesman said that officials with relevant departments also signed two inter-government agreements, one on joint energy development and the other on the construction and operation of a fast neutron experimental reactor. The Bank of China signed a cooperation pact with the Russian Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs, Zhu noted. These developments prove the cooperation between China and Russia, two nations of major influence in the world, has entered a new phase, he emphasized. The spokesman said that the summit between Jiang and Putin has captured the world's attention. The two leaders held wide-ranging and meaningful exchanges of views on major international issues and issues of common concern in bilateral relations, he said. China and Russia support each other and closely cooperate with each other, Zhu said, adding that their relationship will certainly play an even bigger role in opposing hegemonism and power politics and promoting the multipolarization process in today's world. |
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