China-Russia ties advancing to higher levels: Xi in his New Year message to Putin

Beijing: China and Russia are moving forward hand in hand along the “right path” of non-alliance, non-confrontation and their relations have been advancing towards “higher levels,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday in his New Year message to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Xi and Putin exchanged New Year greetings highlighting their burgeoning strategic ties in recent years.

“In the face of the accelerated transformation unseen in a century and a volatile international landscape, China and Russia always move forward hand in hand along the right path of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party,” Xi said in the message.

Putin in his message said both countries have advanced the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era to new heights.

The mutually beneficial cooperation between China’s and Russia’s economy, trade, energy, transportation, science, and technology is progressing in an orderly manner, the Russian president according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

Both leaders exchanged greetings ahead of the January 20 swearing-in of President-elect Donald Trump who threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese exports to the US besides hardening American policy towards China and hinted at a strategic shift of warming up to Putin to end the Ukraine war.

Since taking power in 2012, Xi has elevated China’s ties with Russia to a higher level as part of Beijing’s efforts to build strategic alliances to ward off increasing adversity towards China in the US and EU countries. China followed a guarded policy as it refused to condemn Moscow over Russia’s war in Ukraine even while maintaining ties with Kyiv.