Russia-China relations to remain strong: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday assured China that the relationship between their countries will remain strong even after he steps down as leader next year.
Putin, whose choice of successor is virtually guaranteed to win the March 2008 election, told his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao: "We have recently come to the greatest dawn in Russian-Chinese relations.
"There is no doubt Russian policy toward China will not change in the coming years," Putin told Hu on the sidelines of a regional summit in Sydney that the Russian leader said was likely their last face-to-face talks before he leaves office.
Putin also reassured Hu that China had Moscow's full support over Taiwan, a breakaway island that Beijing wants back, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.
"Putin particularly stressed that the territorial integrity is a basic principle in international law. Russia is firmly in support of China on the Taiwan issue. That will not change," Liu said.
Hu praised Putin at the start of the talks, saying: "Since you have come to power you have worked to strengthen Russian-Chinese relations."
During the talks, Hu stressed that "the Asia-Pacific region is stable overall, but there are some unstable, unsettled factors," according to Liu.
Hu also told Putin he believed that China and Russia should "carry on their strategic cooperation in the security field in order to safeguard regional and global peace and stability."
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