Hu’s Russia, South Africa visits to boost partnerships - FM

RUSSIA: The Chinese president’s upcoming visits to Russia and South Africa will further boost China’s partnerships with the two countries, said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Yang is currently on an official visit to Russia. Before arriving in Moscow, he also visited South Africa where a BRICS summit is to be held in late March.

Over recent years, China-Russia relations have witnessed positive, healthy and stable growth under the guidance of the two countries’ leaders, said Yang in a recent interview with Chinese media.

China and Russia share a strong political relationship, as well as a full-fledged mechanism for high-level exchanges and cooperation in other fields, which has given birth to many important achievements, he said.

At a meeting with Yang on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was looking forward to the forthcoming state visit by the Chinese President, and expected that the visit would boost future development of the China-Russia partnership. During Yang’s stay in Moscow, he also met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

The two men agreed that their two countries should maintain intensive high-level contact, expand consensus, deepen humanistic cooperation, and further strengthen bilateral coordination in international and regional affairs.

When asked in the interview to comment on his South African visit, as well as China’s relations with the Africa continent, Yang said South Africa is a key developing country and an emerging economy, whose ties with China since the establishment of diplomatic links 15 years ago have grown all the way to the current status of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

PROPLES DAILY