Chinese President congratulates Putin on election victory

Last Updated on March 18, 2024 12:52 pm

Vladimir Putin has been in power for the fifth consecutive term by winning the recently held presidential election in Russia. Chief ally Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated him on his election victory.

Asked about the vote at a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “The Chinese president has congratulated Putin.”

He also said, “China and Russia are each other’s bigger neighbors and strategic cooperative partners in the new era.”

“We firmly believe that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, China-Russia relations will continue to move forward,” Lin said.

Lin also said that the two heads of state will maintain close relations. He will lead the two countries to maintain long-standing friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination, and continuously develop China-Russia relations in the new era.”

Preliminary results on Sunday showed Putin with about 87 percent of the vote.

Prior to this, voting was held in the country for three consecutive days. Putin won the election by a record margin, where he faced no opposition. This is a record in the post-Soviet era.

This made the 71-year-old Russian leader six more years in power. He has been in power since 1999. None of his three other contenders received more than 4 percent of the vote, despite anti-Putin protests in various parts of the country on election day.

Source: Al-Arabiya