On the afternoon of October 22, local time, President Xi Jinping of China met with President Vladimir Putin of Russia at the Kremlin in Kazan.
During the meeting, Xi expressed his pleasure at being in the historic city of Kazan at the invitation of President Putin for the 16th BRICS Leaders’ Summit. He noted that this marks their third meeting in 2023. Xi reminisced about the “Long Tea Road,” which connected the two nations over 400 years ago, transporting tea from China’s Wuyi Mountain region to households across Russia.
Earlier this month, Xi and Putin exchanged congratulatory messages in celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. Reflecting on their shared journey, Xi emphasized that the two countries have navigated challenges together and achieved a series of groundbreaking results. He expressed pride in their successful exploration of a constructive approach to neighborly relations, characterized by non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties.
“Since the new era began, both President Putin and I have placed great importance on firmly steering the direction of Sino-Russian relations,” Xi stated. He highlighted their commitment to enduring friendship, comprehensive strategic collaboration, and mutually beneficial cooperation, which have significantly bolstered the development and modernization efforts of both nations. Furthermore, he underscored their contributions to international fairness and justice, enhancing the well-being of their people.
With the world undergoing unprecedented changes and facing complex international situations, Xi conveyed his unwavering belief that the deep-rooted friendship between China and Russia, as well as their shared responsibility as major powers, will remain steadfast.
Xi also underlined the significance of the BRICS cooperation mechanism as a crucial platform for solidarity and collaboration among major emerging markets and developing countries. He remarked on the importance of the upcoming leaders’ summit, marking the first gathering since the expansion of BRICS, which is pivotal for advancing “Big BRICS Cooperation.” He praised Russia’s efforts as the chairing nation and looked forward to in-depth discussions with President Putin and other leaders regarding the future development of the BRICS partnership. Xi hoped that their conversations would foster consensus and send a positive message of unity and cooperation, enabling strategic collaboration and practical cooperation across various fields, thus creating new opportunities for the “Global South” and making larger contributions toward building a community with a shared future for humanity.
