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Call for “multi-polar world”

MOSCOW: Russia and China on Friday stressed their common desire for a “multi-polar world” — one not dominated by the U.S. — and vowed to keep improving economic ties that President Vladimir Putin said are already improving fast.

Mr. Putin met Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, a former Ambassador to the U.S. who suggested the trip to Moscow less than three months after his appointment, underscoring Russia’s importance for Beijing.

“In the past few years, thanks to great contributions by our leaders and our Governments, great positive changes have occurred in bilateral relations, taking our strategic partnership further,” Mr. Yang told Mr. Putin in talks at the Russian leader’s residence outside Moscow.

Relations “have reached an especially high level,” Mr. Putin said, adding the volume of bilateral trade was increasing by up to 43 per cent annually.

Still, trade between Russia and China remains far outstripped by China’s commercial ties to the United States, Japan and South Korea, and Moscow and Beijing have been pushing to add more economic substance amid burgeoning political ties.

Russia and China have found common ground in their opposition to what they perceive to be U.S. dominance of world affairs— AP

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