Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping believe that their mutual support in the fight against COVID-19 is evidence of the special nature of the Russia-China partnership, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
Putin praised Beijing's effective actions to stabilise the epidemiological situation during the coronavirus epidemic, the Kremlin added.
"In the course of a thorough exchange of views on the situation around the coronavirus pandemic, it was emphasised that mutual support in the fight against this global threat is more convincing evidence of the special nature of the Russian-Chinese comprehensive strategic partnership", the statement says.
Putin and Xi reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation, including through the exchange of experts and the supply of medical equipment, the Kremlin said.
China’s Central Television, in the meantime, quoted President Xi as saying that the growth of the country’s trade with Russia was particularly valuable in the context of a global economic downturn. According to Chinese customs, Russia-China trade increased by 3.4 percent to $25.4 billion in the first quarter of 2020.
Earlier this month, Moscow and Beijing agreed on a new deal that would see China supply Russia with 1.05 million protective suits and 80 million medical masks to combat COVID-19.
Similar humanitarian aid was provided by Russia to China when the latter was the epicentre of the world’s COVID-19 outbreak in February.
