Enhanced multilateral cooperation

China and Russia have hailed their coordination and mutual support on an array of international issues such as preserving the authority of the United Nations (UN), countering hegemonism and settling conflicts in hot spots of the world arena.

In a joint statement inked by Hu and Putin in 2007, China and Russia said such cooperation on the global stage has maintained the world's strategic balance, peace and stability.

As both are permanent members of the UN Security Council and nuclear powers, China and Russia have played important roles in seeking solutions to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and Iran's nuclear program.

They are both mediators in the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and international talks concerning Iran.

As both are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China and Russia have actively cooperated in maintaining regional peace and security, fighting against the three evil forces of terrorism, extremism and separatism, cracking down on drugs and arms trafficking and boosting regional economic cooperation.

Boosting ties in Medvedev's term

"Developing the strategic partnership between the two countries conforms to the fundamental interests of both nations, and is also important to safeguarding peace and security of the region and the world at large, and promoting common development and prosperity," Hu said in a message to Medvedev upon the latter's inauguration on May 7.

Hu expressed confidence that Russia will score new achievements in its development under Medvedev's leadership.

The Chinese president also said that it is a shared responsibility of China and Russia to ensure the steady and healthy development of their strategic partnership of cooperation.

Hu said he was ready to work with Medvedev to deepen mutual political trust between the two countries, promote pragmatic cooperation and strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs.

Medvedev, in response, spoke highly of the Russia-China strategic partnership of cooperation, saying the Russian-Chinese ties have been serving as an important factor in the world arena and to develop the partnership is the sole direction of Russia's policy to China.

Political observers believe that under the leadership of Medvedev and support from Putin, who is now Russia's prime minister, the strategic partnership of cooperation between Moscow and Beijing will be further strengthened.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2008)