BEIJING – China and Russia together have found a new path for major countries and neighboring nations to treat each other with respect and pursue amity and mutually beneficial cooperation, President  Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

Xi made the remarks during talks with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Putin arrived in Beijing earlier in the morning for a two-day state visit to China, the first foreign trip since he was sworn in for the fifth term as Russian president on May 7.

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This year marks the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations. Xi said it is an important milestone year in the history of China-Russia relations.

With the concerted efforts of the two sides, China-Russia relations have been moving forward steadily, with enhanced comprehensive strategic coordination and further cooperation on economy and trade, investment, energy, people-to-people exchanges, at the subnational level and in other fields

The steady development of China-Russia relations over the past 75 years has made positive contributions to maintaining global strategic stability and promoting greater democracy in international relations, he said.

After lasting three quarters of a century, China-Russia relations have grown from strength to strength despite the ups and downs and have stood the test of a changing international landscape, Xi said.

The relationship has become a fine example for major countries and neighboring nations to treat each other with respect and candor and pursue friendship and mutual benefit, he added.

Xi said that over the years, he and Putin have met more than 40 times and stayed in close communication, providing strategic guidance that has ensured the sound, steady, and smooth development of the relationship. The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it, he added.

With the concerted efforts of the two sides, China-Russia relations have been moving forward steadily, with enhanced comprehensive strategic coordination and further cooperation on economy and trade, investment, energy, and people-to-people exchanges at the subnational level and in other fields, he added.

Noting China and Russia are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major emerging markets, Xi said it is the shared strategic choice of both countries to deepen strategic coordination, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and follow the general historical trend of multipolarity in the world and economic globalization.

He called on the two countries to take the 75th anniversary as a new starting point, further synergize development strategies, and continue to enrich the bilateral cooperation to bring greater benefits to the two countries and their people.

Xi expressed his readiness to work with Putin to jointly steer the future direction of bilateral relations and make new plans for cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

The two countries issued a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era in the context of the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations.

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President Xi and President Putin signed the joint statement following their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The two leaders later attended the opening ceremony of the China-Russia Years of Culture and a special concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties.

With Xinhua inputs