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BEIJING. — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged New Year greetings on Monday.

In his congratulatory message to Putin, Xi said that the year 2018 has a special significance in China-Russia relations, and both countries have smoothly completed their respective important domestic political agendas and opened a new era for China-Russia ties.

During the year, China and Russia witnessed more frequent high-level exchanges, deepened mutual political trust and a series of achievements from bilateral pragmatic cooperation in various fields, Xi said.

The Year of China-Russia Local Cooperation and Exchange program proceeded smoothly in 2018, and the popular support for friendship from generation to generation between the two peoples has been further consolidated, the Chinese president said.

The two countries collaborated actively in international and regional affairs and played important constructive roles in safeguarding international fairness and justice as well as world peace and stability, he said.

The year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xi said, noting that he is willing to work with Putin to prompt bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to make new progress and bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples.

In his congratulatory message, Putin extended warm New Year greetings to Xi, and wished Chinese people happiness and good health.

In 2018, the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination reached an unprecedented level with substantiated political dialogues and rapidly expanding two-way trade, Putin said.

The Year of China-Russia Local Cooperation and Exchange got off to a good start, and the two countries conducted fruitful cooperation to solve major global and regional issues, he said.

Russia and China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2019, the Russian president said, voicing his belief that both sides will take the opportunity to continue effective cooperation in bilateral and multilateral affairs.

Also on Monday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev exchanged New Year greetings.

In his congratulatory message, Li said China would like to promote cooperation with Russia in trade, energy, finance, technology, agriculture, humanities and other areas to facilitate common development of both nations.

For his part, Medvedev said that Russia highly valued the achievements of the 23rd regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of governments, and is willing to work actively with China to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields. – Xinhua