Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Moscow Thursday
praised the high-level Russian-Chinese political mutual trust,
which serves as a key foundation for bilateral ties.
Receiving Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan in the Kremlin,
Putin said that mutual trust is an important content of the
Russian-Chinese treaty of good-neighborliness, friendship and
cooperation, which Russia is making all efforts to implement.
Putin said that the
Russian-Chinese relationship, based on the common interests of
both sides, is a demonstration of friendly cooperation and will not
be interfered by external factors.
The president stressed that he is satisfied with the military
ties and cooperation between the two nations.
Cao, also the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission
and a state councilor, pledged that the Chinese government will
consistently give diplomatic priority to the development of
Sino-Russian strategic partnership, which has yielded remarkable
results over the past decade.
He said that China highly admires Putin's crucial contribution
to furthering the bilateral strategic partnership.
Cao arrived here Monday for a week-long visit at the invitation
of his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov.
(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2003)
