China, Russia hail positive cooperation, seek 'new achievements'

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Russian President Vladimir Putin have applauded an expansion of mutual ties after meeting on the sidelines the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Singapore.

According to Press TV, Putin on Thursday said "Thanks to the efforts of our governments, trade and economic ties are developing at a noticeable and impressing rate, creating a good basis for our special strategic partnership."

The Russian president urged regular top-level communication between the countries to be further maintained to advance cooperation in fields of energy, aviation, space, science and technology as well as digital economy.

The Chinese premier, on his part, conveyed President Xi Jinping's greetings to Putin, highlighting the positive outcomes of the two presidents' meetings earlier this year.

Li noted that the China-Russia strategic partnership has been functioning positively at high administration levels and called for added investment opportunities and a reduction of trade restrictions.

Putin and Jinping are expected to meet at the G20 summit in Argentina in late November as the two countries expand ties in the face of heightening aggressive behavior on the part of the United States.

The US has increased troop presence in Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific in a bid to "contain" what it describes as a growing threat from the two countries. Russia and China have, however, denied the American allegations as provocations.

On Thursday, Pentagon officials announced the withdrawal of thousands of troops from their Africa-based "counter-terrorism operations" in order to relocate more resources to "countering Russia and China."

Also participating at the ASEAN summit, US Vice President Mike Pence Pentagon indirectly denounced Chinese presence in the Indo-Pacific, saying that "empire and aggression have no place" in the region.

ME