On May 13, 2019 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov jointly met the press after their talks in Sochi.

Wang Yi noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. As two major neighboring countries, China and Russia have travelled an extraordinary journey and pushed bilateral relations to the best period in history. We can confidently say that China-Russia relations have withstood vicissitude of time and respective domestic changes and tests, and have become increasingly mature, stable and resilient. Built on solid political mutual trust and firm mutual support, China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination does not aim at any third party, nor will it be affected by discord and interference from any third party. No matter what happens in the international situation, we will unswervingly deepen bilateral all-round cooperation and promote comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

Wang Yi expressed that after 70 years, China-Russia relations stand at the new starting point in history, reach a new historical position and face new historic opportunities. President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia upon invitation next month. At the scheduled time, the two heads of state will comprehensively review the development experience of bilateral relations in the past 70 years and make strategic planning for bilateral relations in the future. The core of the visit is to push bilateral relations for upgrading and improvement and jointly usher in a new era of higher level and greater development of China-Russia relations.

Wang Yi said that we are glad to see that in recent years, the political advantage of China-Russia relations has constantly been transformed into achievements of practical cooperation. Bilateral trade hits a record high of 100 billion US dollars. Major projects with strategic significance of the two countries are being advanced with solid efforts, which has consolidated the fundamentals of the cooperation. Cooperation in emerging industries enjoys rapid growth, bringing tangible benefits to the societies and peoples of the two countries. Led by the years of China-Russia local cooperation and exchanges, bilateral exchanges at sub-national level are constantly expanding, and the momentum of people-to-people and cultural exchanges is getting stronger. It is fair to say that the landscape of the comprehensive and multi-tiered China-Russia mutually beneficial cooperation that covers various fields gradually comes into being, and will surely benefit the two peoples and people of the world.

Wang Yi said that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and I believed that peace and development is still the theme of today's world, and mutual benefit and win-win results are still pursued by various countries. Unilateralism and bullying wins the heart of no one and will not last long. Discredit and sanctions may have some immediate effects, but will eventually be despised by all.

Wang Yi stressed that faced with the profound changes rarely seen in the past century, China and Russia, permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and major emerging markets, have been aware of our responsibilities for maintaining world peace and safeguarding international justice. We are ready to work with the various members in the international community to resolutely safeguard the international system with the UN at the core, unswervingly safeguard international order based on international law, advocate multilateralism and an open world economy with a clear stance, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind to make concerted efforts in tackling global challenges of various kinds.