ST PETERSBURG - Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said Thursday that China stands ready to work with Russia to continue fully leveraging mechanisms such as the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee and promote the building of a high-level energy cooperation partnership.
Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on the sidelines of the 28th St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Ding said that China-Russia relations have maintained stable, healthy and high-level development in recent years. Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia and attended the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War in May, during which the two heads of state reached a series of important consensus on advancing the development of China-Russia relations and expanding high-level mutually beneficial cooperation, he added.
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China-Russia energy cooperation serves as an important cornerstone of practical cooperation between the two countries and a positive force in safeguarding global energy security, Ding said, noting that China is willing to work with Russia to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and strengthen integrated cooperation in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry.
Novak said that the creation of a Russia-China energy community is the key direction of their practical cooperation, and Russia is willing to work closely with China to ensure the success of the upcoming Russia-China Energy Cooperation Committee meeting in Beijing this year to inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations.
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On the same day, Ding also met with Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller to exchange views on strengthening cooperation between China and Russia in the natural gas sector.
