BEIJING, November 17. /TASS/. The 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the decisions it made opened up new opportunities for the further development of Russian-Chinese relations, Russia’s ambassador to China, Igor Morgulov, told Russian journalists on Thursday.
"Our country, as well as the whole world closely followed the 20th Congress of the CPC - the most important internal political event in the PRC," he said. "As regards the results of the congress, diplomatic missions traditionally do not comment on the host country’s internal political events."
"But I will take the liberty of doing so, because the Chinese Communists’ forum had a direct projection on our bilateral relations in at least two respects," he pointed out.
"Firstly, the decisions taken at the congress will further strengthen socio-political stability in China, while the program for comprehensive strategic modernization will undoubtedly determine the content and dynamics of transformations in all areas of state-building," Morgulov said. He stressed that "China is our closest neighbor with which we share comprehensive strategic partnership and which has been our main trading partner for many years."
"Accordingly, China's stability and prosperity are very important to us. They open up new opportunities for Russian-Chinese relations," he added.
"Secondly, we see eye to eye with China on the key problems of our time, they share the wish to live in a world free from hegemony, not according to the rules written by nobody knows whom or on what basis, but on the basis of the UN Charter and generally recognized norms of international law," Morgulov said.
The Russian side, he stressed, "noted with satisfaction that China has confirmed its course towards peaceful development in the interests of the whole world, universal security, common prosperity and openness, as well as building up an equal and mutually beneficial practical partnership with all interested partners."
"I am certain that this directive is fully applicable to the entire range of relations between our states that both Russia and China are keen to comprehensively promote as one of their key priorities," he concluded.
The 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing on October 16-22. The members of the renewed CPC Central Committee, elected at its final session, approved a new composition of the Politburo and its Standing Committee. Xi Jinping, 69, was re-elected to the post of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee for a third five-year term.