MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China has reaffirmed that the quality of Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership surpasses traditional alliances of the past era, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"Just the day before, President [Russian President Vladimir] Putin completed a visit to the People's Republic of China, his first foreign visit after his re-election. Talks with President Xi Jinping, meeting with other representatives of the Chinese leadership reaffirmed that our relations of comprehensive partnership, strategic interaction surpass in their quality the traditional interstate alliances of the past era and continue to play a key role in maintaining international security and balanced world development," the minister said at the 32nd Assembly of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

"The assessment given by our leaders, which says that the relations are so close, so friendly that they surpass in quality the classical alliances of the past, this assessment fully reflects the essence of the ties that exist between us and the People's Republic of China and are being strengthened in virtually all areas," Lavrov went on to say.

Putin paid a state visit to China from May 16-17.