**:Xinhua.
BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- On Dec. 31, 2023, Vladimir Putin and Russia exchanged New Year's greetings.
**On behalf of China ** and the Chinese people, I would like to extend sincere congratulations and best wishes to Putin ** and the Russian people. ** He pointed out that in 2023, in the face of the changes in a century and the turbulent international and regional situation, China-Russia relations have always maintained healthy and stable development and moved steadily in the right direction. In the past year, we have met twice in Moscow and Beijing, and have had frank exchanges and reached broad consensus on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern. Under our joint leadership, the two sides have further deepened political mutual trust, strengthened strategic cooperation, and achieved new results in mutually beneficial cooperation. The bilateral volume between China and Russia reached the target of 200 billion US dollars ahead of schedule, the Year of Sports Exchange came to a successful conclusion, and the material and public opinion foundation of the relations between the two countries was more solid.
I pointed out that Putin and I have jointly announced that the two sides will hold the Sino-Russian Cultural Year next year. We will also solemnly celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The ups and downs of three-quarters of a century of Sino-Russian relations have shown that the continuous consolidation and development of Sino-Russian relations featuring permanent good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, conforms to the expectations of the international community, and conforms to the trend of development of the times. I am willing to maintain close exchanges with Putin**, and take the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the China-Russia Year of Culture as an opportunity to lead the two countries to continuously enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation, inherit friendship, and ensure the steady and long-term development of China-Russia relations along the right path.
Putin extended heartfelt holiday congratulations to President Putin and wished the friendly Chinese people happiness and well-being. Putin said that in the coming year, we have held two meetings, which has injected strong impetus into the all-round development of the Russian-Chinese comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has flourished, and the bilateral volume has exceeded the target of 200 billion US dollars ahead of schedule, setting a new record. The Russian-Chinese Year of Sports Exchange was successfully held. The Year of Chinese in Russia is poised to begin, and the two countries are about to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. It is believed that with the joint efforts of the two sides, the fruitful cooperation between the two countries in various fields will achieve greater results, and new progress will be made in the cooperation between the two sides within the framework of the United Nations, the G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS mechanism.
On the same day, Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mishustin exchanged New Year's greetings. Li Qiang said that under the strategic guidance of Chairman and Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has continued to develop healthily and steadily, and the two sides have deepened practical cooperation in various fields. China is ready to continue to work with Russia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strive for more practical cooperation results, and inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations. Mishustin said that in 2023, the 28th regular meeting of the Russian and Chinese prime ministers has achieved fruitful results, and the Russian side is willing to maintain constructive communication with the Chinese side and promote bilateral cooperation to a higher level.