BEIJING, May 13. /TASS/. Beijing attaches great importance to the diplomacy of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the development of relations between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a briefing.

"China attaches great importance to the pivotal role the diplomacy of the Chinese and Russian leaders plays in bilateral relations," he said.

The spokesman added that the Russian and Chinese presidents agreed to stay in close contact to ensure the smooth and stable development of China-Russia relations.

Wang Wenbin also noted that he had no information about the dates of the Russian president's visit to China.

Putin recently took office as president of Russia for the fifth time. The inauguration ceremony took place on May 7. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told TASS that Putin planned to go to China for his first official visit as the new president.