Russia, China see each other as partners - joint statement

MOSCOW. May 12 (Interfax) - Russia and China invariably see each other as partners and intend to oppose attempts to disrupt their friendship, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a statement on Thursday.

"While maintaining strategic determination and unvaryingly seeing each other as priority partners in the turbulent and volatile international environment, the two Sides will jointly oppose any attempts to interfere with and undermine the traditional friendship and deep mutual trust between Russia and China, promote mutual development and headway, and bring stability and positive energy to the world," Russia and China said in a joint statement on continuing to deepen their relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction in a new era in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Chinese people's victory in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, and the foundation of the United Nations.

The statement is published on the Kremlin website.

Russia and China also "declare their firm support for each other in ensuring their sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, and stability, preventing any attempts by external forces to hinder normal development of relations between the two states and interfere in their domestic affairs, and upholding their right to independently choose their path of development and preserve their cultural and historical identity and traditional moral values," it says.