BEIJING, August 3 /TASS/. China considers Russia to be a major and influential world power and builds equal relations with it, Director-General of the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Gui Congyou told Russian journalists in Beijing on Wednesday.
"Some western countries are demonstrating a discriminatory approach to Russia. China has always considered Russia to be a major power rather than a second-rate country," the Chinese politician emphasized.
He said that Russia was an influential country despite the fact that it was facing difficulties because of the economic sanctions.
"China and Russia are equal by the countries aggregate might," the diplomat stressed.
Gui Congyou said that Russia and China pursued a policy of non-affiliation with any blocs and were building bilateral relations on the basis of equality.
"Any relations which lack equality will not be sustainable. Our countries maintain strategic relations focused on the future. We need to work to make these relations equal," the Chinese diplomat said.