File photo: Xinhua

 
Chinese President Xi Jinping deeply cherishes his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi told Russian media on Tuesday ahead of his state visit to Russia. 

"I have had closer interactions with President Putin than with any other foreign colleagues. He is my best and bosom friend. I cherish dearly our deep friendship," Xi said in a joint interview with TASS Russian News Agency and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper. 

Xi said that since 2013, he had met with President Vladimir Putin almost 30 times on various occasions and talked by phone, adding that both leaders have written to each other many times. 

Xi said he often happily recalls every interaction he has had with Putin. The two have had in-depth communications on most wide-ranging subjects, including the international situation, bilateral relations and governance, and light-hearted topics involving literature, art and sports, Xi said.

"We have taken and communicated on a high-speed train, watched a friendly ice hockey match between Chinese and Russian youth teams together, celebrated a birthday in Bali, exchanged phone calls and congratulatory letters on each other's important festivals, and have been awarded medals of the highest national honor by each other's countries," Xi said.  

Underlining that the friendship between Putin and him is built on a high degree of mutual trust, Xi said they treat each other with respect, candor, understanding and trust, and share similar views on the international landscape and approaches to national governance.

"Most importantly, we share a high degree of consensus on the strategic significance of the China-Russia relationship and therefore the same resolve and desire to deepen and sustain its growth," Xi added.

Global Times - Xinhua