After talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that China regards Russia as an important strategic partner in building “The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road” (also known as “The Belt and Road Initiative”) together.
Wang said that President Vladimir Putin recently visited China to attend “The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation” and made an important contribution to the success of the Forum. China regards Russia as an important strategic partner to build the “Belt and Road” and believes that Russia will play a unique and irreplaceable role in the process.
Source: People’s Daily, May 27, 2017
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/0527/c1002-29305091.html