President of Russia Vladimir Putin met with Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Ding Xuexiang on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Ding Xuexiang, friends,

I am pleased to meet with you once again in Vladivostok. Last year, we met at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, and tomorrow we will attend a plenary meeting of the Eastern Economic Forum.

We are grateful to the Chinese side for the traditionally high level of its delegation at these two major discussion platforms. As you know, the day before yesterday we had an exceptionally fruitful and substantive meeting with my friend, Mr Xi Jinping, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, after which we attended the events held on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The high intensity of Russian-Chinese contacts, including at the highest level, reaffirms the unprecedented nature of our bilateral relations. Their foundations are enshrined in the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation signed on July 16, 2001, the 25^th anniversary of which we marked this year. At the current stage, our relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation are enjoying positive momentum in all spheres, based on the principles of equality, mutual support on key issues, mutual understanding and respect for each other's interests.

Over the past three years, our trade steadily exceeded $200 billion, reaching nearly $240 billion in 2025 and providing a solid foundation for our bilateral relations. We hope to report a new record this year.

Our mutual investments are growing, and our cooperation is strengthening in power generation, a key area of our relations. Russia is the biggest supplier of our traditional commodities to the Chinese market. In addition, Moscow is also Beijing's main partner in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Regular meetings between the heads of Russian and Chinese governments serve as a mechanism for addressing a wide range of matters on our cooperation agenda. Within this framework you oversee the work of intergovernmental commissions on investment and energy cooperation. In other words, you are in charge of our interaction in nearly all its key aspects.

I know that you plan to hold regular meetings with your Russian counterpart Denis Manturov, and with another colleague, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, as well as to attend the 8^th Russia-China Energy Business Forum on the sidelines of our forum.

I am confident that your joint search for the best approaches to the further development of our economic cooperation will be effective and will help strengthen the friendly Russian-Chinese relations.

Thank you.

Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Ding Xuexiang (retranslated): Mr President, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule.

I am also very pleased to visit Russia once again, at the direction of President Xi Jinping, and to attend the 11th Eastern Economic Forum at your invitation.

I clearly remember meeting you last summer on the sidelines of the 28th St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, China-Russia relations - our comprehensive partnership and strategic coordination - are steadily deepening.

On August 31, President Xi Jinping met with you on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek, where important agreements were reached on the advancement of bilateral relations and multifaceted cooperation.

As Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Commission on Investment and Energy Cooperation, I stand ready to work with my Russian colleagues to implement the agreements reached by our heads of state, take effective measures to deepen the integration of our countries' interests, and continue to strengthen the material foundation needed to take our bilateral relations to new heights.

The Eastern Economic Forum is an important platform for consolidating a common understanding of cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries. This year's Forum motto is The Far East: Development for the Benefit of People. For our governments, bringing benefits to our citizens is the most important goal in safeguarding the fundamental interests of our countries and peoples; it is a noble aspiration.

I look forward to your excellent address tomorrow.

At present, diverse development opportunities are continually emerging in the dynamic Far East. The Chinese side stands ready, as always, to continue supporting and participating in cooperation on the development of the Far East, so that the fruits of our joint efforts can be more widely shared by the peoples of our two countries.

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