Shared goals with Moscow lauded as visit starts

President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan arrive at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport on Monday. [Photo/Agencies]

President Xi Jinping said on Monday that he is confident he can reach agreements with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, about deepening bilateral relations and pushing forward cooperation in all areas.

"I believe this trip is definitely going to yield fruitful outcomes," Xi said in a written statement issued upon his arrival at Moscow’s airport on Monday.

Xi is paying a two-day state visit to Russia at Putin’s invitation. Apart from talks with the Russian president, Xi will also attend people-to-people exchange programs jointly hosted by the two countries and meet people from all walks of life.

On Tuesday, Xi will fly to Berlin for a state visit to Germany and then travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit.

In an interview with Russian media before he left Beijing, Xi said that China and Russia hold similar views on the essence and damage of the United States deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in the Republic of Korea and will take necessary measures, jointly or individually.

He said China and Russia have been in close communication and are coordinating at various levels on the issue.

The deployment gravely harms the strategic security interests of China, Russia and other countries in the region, Xi said.

China and Russia will take necessary measures, jointly or individually, to safeguard their national security interests and the regional strategic balance, he said.

On the Korean Peninsula issue, Xi said China is committed to denuclearizing the peninsula, safeguarding its peace and stability and settling disagreements through dialogue and consultation.

China, he added, hopes that other parties with an interest in the Korean Peninsula will join the push by China and Russia for talks, take up their respective responsibilities and place the issue on the right track of dialogue and consultation toward a negotiated settlement as soon as possible.

China and Russia have maintained close strategic coordination on global and regional affairs, serving as a sort of ballast in safeguarding global and regional peace, security and stability, Xi added.

On Beijing’s ties with Moscow, Xi described relations as being at their "best time in history", adding that the two nations are each other’s most trustworthy strategic partners.

The two countries have built high-level political and strategic trust, the president said, noting that they have resolved all border issues left over from history and turned their 4,300-kilometer boundary line into a bond of friendship between their two peoples.

"President Putin and I have built good working relations and have a close personal friendship," Xi said.

Chen Yurong, a senior Eurasian studies researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, said: "The close working relationship between the two heads of state and their personal friendship has become a locomotive in the development of bilateral relations between China and Russia.

"They can exchange views on almost everything, which reflects the high level of political trust between the two countries."

Xinhua contributed to this story.