China Russia Photo: VCG

 
Russia firmly supports China's efforts on the Taiwan question to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and has always regarded the development of relations with China as a diplomatic priority, Secretary Nikolai Patrushev of the Security Council of the Russian Federation said at the 17th China-Russia strategic security consultation on Monday. 

The security consultation was held from Sunday to Monday in East China's Fujian Province, co-hosted by Patrushev and Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

In recent years, under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations have maintained a vigorous momentum of development, Yang said. 

The two sides have continued to deepen their strategic cooperation over the years, firmly supported each other on issues involving their core interests, and enriched the depth of cooperation in various fields, Yang noted.

China and Russia jointly defended the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, safeguarding global justice and equity, and setting an example for the international community of a new type of major power relations of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

The strategic talk comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Yang said China is ready to work with the Russian side to fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen political trust and strategic cooperation between both sides, and create a more secure and stable external environment for their development.

On his part, Patrushev said that Russia upholds the one-China principle and resolutely supports the Chinese government's decisions on the Taiwan question to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Russia has always regarded the development of relations with China as a diplomatic priority, and is willing to maintain close communication with China, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and further strengthen coordination in international organizations.

The two sides also exchanged views on maintaining global strategic stability, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, Afghanistan, Ukraine and other hot worldwide issues of common concern.

The 16th round of the China-Russia strategic security consultation was held in Russia in May 2021, where the two sides discussed multilateral cooperation and exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, according to media reports.

Many new challenges have emerged since the last consultation, such as the Ukraine crisis, the changes in the situation in Afghanistan, together with food security and the epidemic prevention crisis, which have not only had a serious impact on the security of the continents, but will also influence the recovery and development of the regional economy, said Chinese analysts.

The high-level strategic interactions between China and Russia reflect the stable cooperation and mutual trust of the two countries in the security field, which is of regional and global significance amid the current instability and uncertainty across the world, they said. 

Global Times