Episode Details

President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reiterated the long-term and strategic nature of bilateral ties, pledging that China-Russia relations will not be disrupted by external factors or any third party.

The two presidents made the statement on Monday during a telephone conversation, their second interaction within a month following a video meeting on Jan 21.

Putin provided an update on the latest interactions between Russia and the United States, as well as Russia's principled stance on the Ukraine crisis. He emphasized Moscow's commitment to addressing the root causes of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and achieving a sustainable and lasting peace.

Xi reaffirmed China's position on resolving the Ukraine crisis, saying that the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis, which was established in September by China and Brazil along with some other countries of the Global South, has been fostering an atmosphere and conditions for the political settlement of the crisis.

China is glad to see Russia and relevant parties make positive efforts to defuse the Ukraine crisis, he said.

Monday marked the third anniversary of the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

High-level delegations from Russia and the US held talks on the Ukraine crisis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb 18. Both sides agreed to appoint special representatives to continue the talks between the two countries.

Speaking at a regular news conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, "Since the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis, China has stayed in communication with relevant parties and been committed to building consensus for ending the conflict and paving the way for peace talks."

China will always stand firmly on the side of peace, uphold an objective and fair position and continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in advancing political settlement of the crisis, Lin said.

On bilateral ties, Xi told Putin that history and reality have shown that China and Russia are good neighbors that cannot be moved away from each other, and true friends who share weal and woe, support each other and pur