BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the latter's request.
Under the strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has maintained high-level development, exchanges and cooperation in various fields have been deepened, and the popular support for bilateral friendship has been continuously consolidated, Qin said.
He said China-Russia relations are based on the principle of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-direction at the third party, noting that China is ready to work with Russia to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state and continuously push forward the two countries' relations.
Qin also expressed his willingness to maintain close exchanges with Lavrov.
Lavrov congratulated Qin on taking office as the Chinese foreign minister and expressed his expectation to build good working relationship with Qin so as to lead the two countries' foreign ministries to continue their close cooperation, jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state and push for new achievements in the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Qin emphasized that China will continue to view and handle the Ukraine issue with the four points about what must be done and the four things the international community must do together proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping as the fundamental guidance. ■
