China, Russia should pursue "close strategic coordination," reject "exteral interference": Xi in call with Putin

Beijing [China], February 8 (ANI): Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephonic conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday and said that Beijing is ready to work jointly with Moscow toward boosting international multilateral cooperation, Russia's state agency TASS reported.
"China actively supports Russia's work as the BRICS chair in 2024 and is ready to deepen international multilateral cooperation with Russia," state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.
President Xi told Putin that the two countries should pursue "close strategic coordination" and defend the sovereignty, security and development interests of their respective countries, state media said.
Xi further said both sides should resolutely oppose interference in internal affairs by external forces, CCTV reported.
In the phone call, the two heads of state also exchanged greetings of the Chinese New Year, Chinese state agency Xinhua reported.
2024 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. The two leaders earlier announced holding events as part of the Year of Sino-Russian Culture in 2024-2025, TASS reported.
According to the Kremlin's press service, Xi and Putin summed up the development of a comprehensive partnership between the two countries over the recent period in a telephone conversation.
"Heads of states summed up the development of Sino-Russian comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation over the recent period," the statement read.
The two leaders also rejected the US' interference in the internal affairs of other countries, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov reported after the conversation.
"The leaders confirmed the common course of our countries on the formation of a fair multipolar world order based on international law," TASS quoted him as saying.
"Both sides expressed their mutual rejection of the US course aimed at interfering in the internal affairs of other states. Our countries also do not accept political and military pressure from the United States," he added. (ANI)