China, Russia to launch Years of Sports Exchanges

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping said Friday he is ready to jointly announce with Russian President Vladimir Putin the official launch of the Years of Sports Exchanges between the two countries.

Xi made the remarks during talks with Putin in Beijing.

The Years of Sports Exchange between China and Russia, with various kinds of activities to be carried out, can deepen mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the two peoples, Xi said.

"China is ready to work with Russia to give full play to the political advantages of bilateral relations and push for more achievements in all-round pragmatic cooperation," Xi stressed.

He called for implementing the roadmap for high-quality development of China-Russia trade in goods and services, deepening cooperation in such areas as agriculture, green trade, medicine and health, and the digital economy, promoting transport infrastructure connectivity, and maintaining the smooth logistics on the Eurasian continent as well as stability of global industrial and supply chains.

"China and Russia should strengthen their energy strategic partnership, steadily advance major oil and gas cooperation projects, step up joint innovation in major energy technologies, expand cooperation on new energy, support each other in ensuring energy security, and improve the global energy governance system," he said.

Xi called for more technological and innovation cooperation between the two countries, particularly in frontier areas such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and the International Lunar Research Station project.

The two countries should deepen communication on fiscal and financial policies, strengthen their capability of resisting financial risks, and seek greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, he said.