BEIJING: Key Russian ally China on Monday (Mar 18) congratulated President Vladimir Putin on his election victory.
With 99 per cent of polling stations having submitted results, Putin had secured 87.33 per cent of all votes cast, official election data showed Monday, according to state news agency RIA.
“China expresses its congratulations on this,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked about the poll at a regular press conference.
“China and Russia are each other’s largest neighbours and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners in the new era,” he added.
It was a record victory for Putin in a presidential election where he faced no genuine competition.
“We firmly believe that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, China-Russia relations will continue to move forward,” Lin said, noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.
Putin on Monday heaped praise on Beijing, saying he was “sure that in the coming years we will only strengthen and build up our relations and achieve common successes for the benefit of the Chinese and Russian peoples”, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
“The most important thing is the coincidence of state interests. This creates a very good tone for solving common problems in the field of international relations,” Putin was reported as saying.
“The structure of China’s economy is changing towards innovation,” he added. “We face exactly the same tasks in Russia.”
Source: CNA
