Russian ties strong, but relations with Japan still fragile: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang
China’s relations with Russia will not be affected by changes in the international situation or pressure from any third party, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday.
Sino-Japanese relations, however, remained fragile despite signs of improvement, he said.
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Russia and China have extensively enhanced economic, security and diplomatic ties in recent years as Moscow faces Western sanctions for its unilateral annexation of Crimea. There have been concerns the closer bond could pose a challenge to the Western-led world order.
Li told the media after his wrap-up speech following the National People’s Congress that China and Russia had a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership ” – the highest level in China’s diplomatic tier.
“The relationship is an all-dimensional one,” he said, adding that President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had met “quite often”. The two leaders met five times last year – the most that Xi met any head of state.
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Li made the remarks when responding to a Russian journalist’s question over whether China’s lack of investment in Russia was due to Western countries’ sanction and pressure from powers like Washington.
