According to Beijing’s state media, Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed his congratulations to Vladimir Putin on Monday, affirming that his re-election “completely embodies the support of the Russian people.”
As per official election data reported by the state news agency RIA, Putin secured 87.33 percent of all votes cast, with results from 99 percent of polling stations accounted for.
This victory marked a record for Putin in a presidential election where he faced no significant competition, although the polls were criticized by numerous Western nations for not being free or fair.
“Your re-election fully reflects the support of the Russian people for you,” Xi told Putin, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“In recent years, the Russian people have united as one to overcome challenges and move forward steadily on the road to national development and revitalization,” Xi reportedly said.
“I believe that under your leadership, Russia will be able to achieve greater achievements in national development and construction,” he said.
“China attaches great importance to the development of China-Russia relations and is willing to maintain close communication with Russia to promote the sustained, healthy, stable and in-depth development of (bilateral ties),” Xi said.
‘Build Up’ Relations
Putin heaped praise on key ally Beijing on Monday, 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 said. “We face exactly the same tasks in Russia.”
Former socialist allies, China and Russia, faced a turbulent relationship in the later decades of the previous century. However, in recent times, their growing friendship has strengthened, symbolizing a united front against the US-led West.
Despite Russia’s aggressive invasion of Ukraine straining its relations with Western nations, China has notably refrained from condemning its ally’s actions against its European neighbor.
Western countries contend that China’s ambiguity has provided Putin with crucial political and diplomatic support for his unjustified aggression against Kyiv.
‘Dear Friend’ Putin
Both leaders have previously celebrated the depth of their personal friendship, each having left their mark on their respective nations during lengthy tenures in power.
Last October, Xi warmly received his “dear friend” Putin in Beijing, where the Russian president was accorded the status of guest of honor at a multilateral summit.
Xi emphasized the continuous deepening of political mutual trust between their nations, commending their close and effective strategic coordination. He highlighted that over the past decade, he had met with Putin on 42 occasions, underscoring the development of a strong working relationship and a profound friendship between them.
