Xi's Russia trip to advance friendship, cooperation, peace: spokesperson

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia will be a trip of friendship, cooperation and peace, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday.

Xi will pay a state visit to Russia from March 20 to 22 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In recent years, President Xi has maintained close contact with President Putin. Under their leadership and guidance, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has achieved sustainable, sound and steady development, Wang told a daily news briefing.

The two countries have found a path of major-country relations featuring strategic trust and good neighborliness, setting a good example for a new paradigm of international relations, he added.

During his visit, Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with Putin on bilateral relations as well as major international and regional issues of common concern, promote bilateral strategic coordination and practical cooperation, and inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations, the spokesperson said.

The visit will be a journey of friendship, which will further deepen mutual trust and understanding between China and Russia and consolidate the political foundation of and public support for friendship between the two peoples for generations, Wang said.

He noted that Xi's visit to Russia will be a trip of cooperation to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, deepen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, and help the two countries achieve their respective goals of development and revitalization.

The visit will also be a trip to foster peace, Wang said, noting that China and Russia will, on the basis of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party, practice true multilateralism, promote a multi-polar world and greater democracy in international relations, improve global governance, and contribute to world development and progress.

"China will continue to uphold its objective and just position on the Ukraine crisis and play a constructive role in promoting peace talks," the spokesperson said.

"The purpose of China's foreign policy is to maintain world peace and promote common development," Wang said, noting that on the issue of Ukraine, China has always stood on the side of peace and dialogue, and on the right side of history.

The spokesperson mentioned the position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis released by China last month, which embodies China's objective and just position on the Ukrainian issue, noting that "China's position boils down to supporting talks for peace."

"We always believe that political dialogue is the only way to solve conflicts and disputes, while fanning the flames and fueling the fight, unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure will only intensify contradictions and escalate tensions, which is not in line with the interests and expectations of most countries in the world," he said.

When answering a question on whether the China-Russia summit will involve such issues as China providing various types of assistance to Russia, Wang said that China has always carried out normal economic and trade cooperation with other countries including Russia on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

"The cooperation between China and Russia is above-board and candid, for the benefit of the two peoples and for the development of the world, and is free from interference and coercion by any third party," he said.