Photo:Xinhua

China and Russia vowed to deepen bilateral relations at all levels, following the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and amid the US' heightened pressure on the two countries. Chinese observers said that China-Russia relations, which set a very prominent and positive example for establishing mutually beneficial cooperation between major countries, drive the world toward a more just, effective and multipolar global order, and the deepened cooperation between the two countries also contributes to the decline of US hegemony.

Russia regards China as a close friend and feels great respect for the traditions and culture of China, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at a plenary session of the Valdai international discussion club, TASS reported.

"As for the Russian-Chinese relations, they have reached an absolutely unprecedented level of openness, mutual trust and effectiveness over the past years, past decades," the report quoted Putin as saying. "We regard China, the Chinese people as a close friend, with great respect for its culture and traditions. I'm sure that based on that strong foundation we will steadily move forward," Putin said. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Friday's media briefing that China highly appreciates President Putin's positive remarks. 

Under the current international situation, China-Russia relations have always maintained vigorous development and have always been based on the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party. 

China will continue to share governance experience with Russia, advance cooperation in various fields, and firmly support each other in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions. China and Russia will always be each other's development opportunities and global partners and contribute more to world peace and development, Wang said. 

Also on Thursday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, right after the 20th CPC National Congress, which reflected the high-level mutual trust and firm mutual support between China and Russia, said Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

China is willing to deepen exchanges with Russia at all levels and promote bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to a higher level, said Wang.

For his part, Lavrov said that the 20th CPC National Congress is a world-class event and will surely guide China to achieve the goal of national rejuvenation.

The Russian side is willing to enhance contact at various levels with the Chinese side, deepen multilateral cooperation, and jointly safeguard peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and the world, said Lavrov.

The two sides also exchanged views on Ukraine and other international and regional issues of common concern. 

Wang Wenbin said on Friday that in the phone conversation, the Russian side expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue and resume negotiations with Ukraine and the US, which China welcomes. 

China hopes that the relevant parties will step up diplomatic efforts and ease and resolve the situation as soon as possible through negotiations and other political channels.

Cui Heng, an assistant research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies of East China Normal University, told the Global Times that since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, global risks have been rising, and the main responsibility lies with the Western countries that destroyed the post-war international order. Facing an uncertain future, Putin knows well that China-Russia relations ensure the security and development interests of the two countries. 

A Beijing-based foreign affairs expert, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times on Friday that the China-Russia relationship is the most typical embodiment of the basic principles of building major-country diplomacy identified in the 20th National Congress of the CPC. 

"China-Russia relations set a very prominent and positive example for establishing mutually beneficial cooperation and stable relations between major countries," the expert said. 

According to the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, China works to enhance coordination and positive interaction with other major countries to build major-country relations featuring peaceful coexistence, overall stability, and balanced development. 

It should be stressed that China is independently and responsibly dealing with major-country relations, and will not be influenced by other countries, analysts said. 

Such a continuous advance in China-Russia relations, which is expected, will have a huge impact on the reshaping of the world pattern, which will help build a more balanced and cooperative relationship between major powers, Chinese analysts said. 

The deepened China-Russia exchange also comes amid the US' intensified attacks on the two countries, including viewing both Russia and China as threats. 

Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times that the deepened China-Russia exchange has contributed to the resistance against US hegemony, which is not just about China and Russia's national interests, but also world justice. 

He said China-Russia cooperation will help build a multipolar world, resulting in the decline of US hegemony.