He meets with Medvedev, calls for peace talks to solve Ukraine crisis

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on Wednesday for a political settlement of the ongoing Ukraine crisis, and reiterated that the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era is a long-term strategic choice that the two countries have made based on their own national conditions.

Xi, who is also Chinese president, made the remarks while meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Medvedev was visiting China at the invitation of the CPC.

Medvedev handed Xi a letter signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin that conveyed his friendly greetings and good wishes to Xi.

During their meeting, Xi and Medvedev exchanged views about inter-party exchanges, bilateral relations, the Ukraine crisis and other international and regional issues of common concern.

On the Ukraine crisis, Xi said that China has always decided its own position and policy based on the merits of the matter itself, and it takes an objective and fair position on the issue and has made active efforts to facilitate peace talks.

He expressed his hope that the parties concerned will show rationality and restraint, start a comprehensive dialogue and address each other's security concerns through political means.

Xi hailed China-Russia ties, saying that over the past decade, bilateral relations have stood the test of the volatile changes in the international landscape and maintained healthy, steady and high-level development.

China stands ready to work with Russia to push for global governance to become fairer and more equitable, while advancing the development of bilateral ties, he said.

Xi also briefed Medvedev about the 20th CPC National Congress, which he said had clarified the central task of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization.

The nation has the confidence and capability to pursue the Chinese path to modernization and provide more opportunities for world peace and prosperity, he said.

Xi praised the long-term exchanges between the CPC and the United Russia party, saying that these have contributed to consolidating China-Russia political mutual trust and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and strategic coordination, and have also provided strong support for the steady growth of China-Russia relations in the new era.

He expressed his hope that the two parties would continue to develop in-depth exchanges in governance experience, promote synergy between the countries' development strategies, advance multilateral international cooperation among political parties and learn from each other on the building of the ruling party.

Medvedev congratulated Xi on his reelection as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee as well as the significant accomplishments of the 20th CPC National Congress, saying that the greater progress China has made under the leadership of the CPC will not only benefit the 1.4 billion Chinese people, but also has great relevance to the world.

Noting that party-to-party cooperation is an important part of bilateral ties, Medvedev said that the United Russia party is willing to work with the CPC to strengthen exchanges in governance experience, implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, actively advance bilateral cooperation in trade and the economy, energy and agriculture, and jointly resist pressure from external forces and unfair practices.

Medvedev said that the Ukraine crisis happened as a result of complex factors and Russia is willing to resolve the related problems through peace talks.