China and Russia on Tuesday highlighted their commitment to the settlement of the Ukraine crisis through peace talks, as the two heads of state signed a key political document to further the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

▲ President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a document signing ceremony following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on Tuesday. Xinhua/Xie Huanchi

In the joint statement signed by President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two nations made it clear that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed and international law must be respected.

Moscow expressed appreciation to Beijing for consistently upholding an objective and impartial position on the Ukraine issue, and both sides oppose any country or bloc harming the legitimate security interests of other nations in pursuit of advantages in military, political and other areas.

▲ Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a solemn welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the St. George's Hall at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2023. Xi on Tuesday held talks with Putin in Moscow. Xinhua/Xie Huanchi

Russia reiterated its commitment to restarting peace talks as early as possible, and China expressed its appreciation for that, according to the joint statement.

Russia also welcomed China playing a positive role in the political and diplomatic settlement of the crisis.

Both sides pointed out that a settlement of the Ukraine crisis must accommodate the legitimate security concerns of all countries and prevent bloc confrontation.

The two countries also stressed that responsible dialogue is the best way to solve problems, and the international community must make constructive efforts toward that.

The two sides call for stopping all moves that lead to tensions and the prolonging of fighting, in order to prevent the crisis from getting worse or even out of control, and they oppose any unilateral sanctions not authorized by the UN Security Council.

The joint statement was signed by Xi and Putin after their second day of meetings at the Kremlin. The two leaders also signed another joint statement on the plan for key directions of bilateral economic cooperation through 2030.

Xi stressed during talks on Tuesday the need for closer communication and coordination between China and Russia to work for greater outcomes in bilateral cooperation.

The president underscored that China-Russia relations have maintained a momentum of robust, healthy and stable growth with joint efforts from both sides, and the two countries have continued to deepen political mutual trust, seen an increasing convergence of interests and enhanced people-to-people understanding.

Both nations have kept moving forward with their cooperation on the economy, trade, investment, energy and at local levels, he noted.

He told Putin that China is now accelerating efforts to foster a new pattern of development, promoting high-quality growth and moving forward with the Chinese path to modernization across the board, while Russia is also working toward its national development goals for the period until 2030.

He expressed readiness to work with Putin to plan the development of bilateral relations and pragmatic cooperation and contribute to the development and rejuvenation of both nations.

▲Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold large-group talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2023. Xi on Tuesday held talks with Putin in Moscow. Xinhua/Shen Hong

Putin rolled out the red carpet for Xi, who arrived in Moscow on Monday, at a welcoming ceremony at St George's Hall on Tuesday, before holding talks in restricted and formal sessions.

The three-day trip, described by Xi as one of friendship, cooperation and peace, marked his ninth visit to Russia since he first became Chinese president in March 2013.

The relationship between the two nations is built upon robust economic and trade cooperation, with bilateral trade hitting a record high of $190.27 billion in 2022, up 29.3 percent year-on-year. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years.

During a one-on-one meeting with Putin on Monday upon his arrival, Xi said it is a strategic choice China has made to consolidate and develop China-Russia relations well on the basis of its own fundamental interests and prevailing global trends.

Beijing remains steadfast in keeping to the general direction of strengthening strategic cooperation with Russia, he said.

记者：徐伟 任奇