Putin: Russia and China are ready to support each other in issues like protecting sovereignty

In a video message, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, said that Russia and China were ready to support each other in a wide range of issues, including national unity, sovereignty and protection.

Putin, as he prepared to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping on Wednesday for talks, said that the relationship between?Russian and China has reached a 'unprecedented' level of mutual understanding and confidence.

Putin said that the countries were ready to "cooperate" on the basis of mutually beneficial and equal principles, and "to support one another on issues concerning the core interests of both countries including the protection and unity of national sovereignty", he added. Putin did not give any more details.

He said that Russia and China are actively expanding their ties in the economy, politics, and defence.

Putin stated that "we are not aligning ourselves against anyone but working to?the cause?of peace and universal prosperity." (Reporting and editing by Clarence Fernandez, Himani Sarkar, and Jekaterina Glubkova from Tokyo)

(source: Reuters)