China hails Putin's remarks on bilateral ties

BEIJING - A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday that China has noted Russian President Vladimir Putin's positive remarks on bilateral ties and expresses its appreciation.

"With the guidance by the heads of the two countries, China-Russia ties have scored fruitful results," spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily press briefing.

Noting Putin will visit China in May and attend a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Hua said China expects the upcoming meeting between the two leaders to further high-level political mutual trust and practical cooperation and lift the level of bilateral partnership.

"The two sides are closely coordinating with each other to prepare for the visit," she said.

The essence of the China-Russia relationship is "no-alliance, no-conflict and no moves against any third country," making the ties "mature and solid" with lasting vitality and dynamism, she said.

Hua also added that the China-Russia partnership is a model for peaceful coexistence and neighborly friendship between major countries.

In a live chat with Russian citizens Thursday, Putin said that cooperation with China, including that in international issues, "is at an unprecedented level."