Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang arrived in St. Petersburg on Tuesday for a three-day official visit to Russia. Li and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will co-head the 24th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government, TASS reports.
2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic ties, and bilateral relations had recently been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, Li said upon his arrival.
A new stage for bilateral relations of higher level and greater development has started, he said.
“I hope the regular meeting this time will promote our two countries’ all-round pragmatic cooperation to bear new fruits, further enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, and better benefit the two peoples,” the Chinese PM said.
Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia is ready to continue developing cooperation with China in all areas.
“At the meeting, we exchanged views on key areas of cooperation, touched upon the issues of interconnection between the EAEU and China’s Belt and Road initiative,” he said.
“Of course, we are committed to deepen cooperation further in all areas, achieving concrete mutually beneficial results,” he added.
Amid complicated and profound changes in the international situation and an increasing downward pressure on the world economy, Li pledged China’s willingness to “step up coordination and cooperation with Russia on international affairs, jointly defend multilateralism and free trade, and work together for improving global governance, forging an open world economy, and safeguarding regional and world peace, development and prosperity.”
