ISTANBUL

Russia is ready to jointly resist emerging challenges and increasing external pressure together with China, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said during a meeting via video link with Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on Monday.

“Our countries have the same approach to many problems of our time. Together we advocate the formation of a multipolar architecture of international relations. And we are ready to jointly resist emerging challenges and increasing external pressure,” Mishustin said, according to a statement by Moscow.

Recalling a statement by President Vladimir Putin who indicated that Russia needs a prosperous China, Mishustin said China also needs a successful Russia in return and that positive developments have taken place economically, particularly in bilateral trade.

“Despite the unfavorable external environment, Russian-Chinese trade shows double-digit growth rates. In the 10 months of this year, it has increased by almost a third and approached $150 billion. This is already higher than the figures for the whole of last year. In the future, as the leaders of the two countries agreed, we will reach $200 billion or more,” Mishustin said.

Beijing has not directly supported Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine, but has condemned "unilateral" sanctions imposed by the West in response.

Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Beijing earlier this year, and declared a "no-limits" partnership.

Mishustin said relations between Russia and China are of “the nature of a comprehensive and strategic partnership,” adding that both countries are “confidently and steadily moving forward in all directions, even in the conditions of crisis phenomena in the world economy.”

He underlined the importance of the use of national currencies for mutual trade, adding that the partnership has acquired a “strategic character.”

“The global world order is undergoing a serious transformation. Some Western states have decided that using illegitimate economic sanctions, restrictions and political pressure, they can impose their own rules, regardless of the interests of others. Such attempts are doomed to failure,” he said.

“We are convinced that in the new geopolitical realities, Russian-Chinese comprehensive and strategic partnership will reveal its great creative potential even more."