Stronger China-Russia ties "against external risks"

Stronger China-Russia ties "against external risks"

The two statesmen met for the fourth time in 2014, this time in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where they attended the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said the Xinhua news agency.

This organization gathers Russia, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Closer economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing was stepped up this year with energy sector contracts, at a time when the two countries faced a tense geopolitical situation - the Ukrainian crisis for Russia, and territorial disputes in the East and South China seas for China.

The two countries "should improve mutual support, be more open to each other and give each other a helping hand" in order to jointly oppose external risks and challenges and strengthen their development, said Xi.

In May, after a decade of negotiations, Russia and China signed a major contract for the delivery of Russian gas to China worth USD 400 billion over a period of 30 years.

In view of the tense relations with the West Russia is trying to divert its energy exports to Asia.

Putin, reported Xinhua, said that regional and international situation was "unstable" and expressed his wish for the two powers to continue to make progress on the major oil and gas projects, but also in the sphere of nuclear energy.

A week ago Putin launched an ambitious, 4,000-kilometer long gas pipeline project in Siberia that will transport gas from the fields in Yakutia and the Sea of ​​Japan to the eastern Chinese border.

Meanwhile, the United States announced they would "deepen and broaden sanctions against Russia's financial, energy, and defense sectors in response to its illegal actions in Ukraine."

The European Union also announced new restrictive measures against Russia's financial and energy sectors.

Russia rejects accusations of involvement in the war in Ukraine, and has announced measures to counter the latest round of sanctions imposed against it.