China welcomes efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine

President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have a chat over tea in Moscow on Thursday. (XIE HUANCHI/XINHUA)

President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China welcomes all efforts conducive to peace and looks forward to reaching a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement that is acceptable to all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis through dialogue.

Xi made the remarks while having a chat over tea with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

China has advocated and is committed to a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, Xi said.

The Chinese side believes that the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously and the root causes of the crisis must be addressed, he said.

Putin highly appreciated China's objective and impartial stance on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, saying that Russia is willing to start peace talks without preconditions and hopes to achieve a fair and lasting peace agreement.

The two presidents also stressed the importance for the two countries to deepen strategic coordination in a changing and turbulent world.

Xi said that as long as China and Russia maintain strategic focus and adhere to strategic coordination, no force can prevent the two countries from achieving their respective development and rejuvenation, nor can it stop the everlasting friendship aspired by the Chinese and Russian people, nor can it halt the trend of a multipolar world and economic globalization.

Xi said he is willing to keep close communication with Putin to steer and guide China-Russia relations, and make a positive contribution to promoting global governance.

Putin said that Russia and China have always stood together and supported each other, and the friendship between the two countries is unbreakable.

He expressed his readiness to maintain close strategic communication with Xi to provide strategic guidance for the development of Russia-China relations, jointly address the challenges of the complex international situation, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination, safeguard the two countries' common interests, and advocate together for a more just and democratic multipolar world.