Mr. Xi proposed a ‘big plan’ to Mr. Putin to develop relations

Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 4 had a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about one hour and 25 minutes. This is the first phone call between the leaders of the two countries this year, when China and Russia are both taking steps to adjust their strategies amid global geopolitical tensions.

“China and Russia have the obligation to encourage the international community to maintain fairness and justice, resolutely protect the international system with the United Nations (UN) as its core and the basic norms of international law, as well as work together to maintain global strategic stability,” Xi said, adding that the international situation is “becoming increasingly unstable.”

The Chinese President told the Russian President that the two countries should maintain close high-level exchanges and strengthen cooperation in all fields.

“As great powers, the two sides should have deeper strategic coordination and have a more proactive sense of responsibility to ensure that China-Russia relations continue to develop steadily in the right direction,” Xi said. “The two countries need to coordinate to develop a big plan to promote bilateral relations in the right direction.”

Russian media said President Putin told Mr. Xi that Russia-China relations were a stabilizing factor in a time of “global instability”. Mr. Putin also praised energy trading activities with China, when Moscow is the leading energy supplier to Beijing.

“We are having an active dialogue on nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and promoting high-tech projects, including in industry and space exploration,” the Russian President said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu also met earlier, pledging to maintain close communication and strengthen mutual support on issues related to core interests.

Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov said President Putin had accepted the invitation to visit China in the first half of this year.