CHINESE President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a video summit on Wednesday to discuss the growing economic co-operation between Moscow and Beijing and their relations with the United States.

Noting that Wednesday was the first day of spring according to the Chinese calendar, President Xi said he would like to work with Mr Putin on “a new blueprint for China-Russia relations” on a day that symbolises new beginnings, an online report from Chinese broadcaster CCTV said.

President Putin said that “any season is springtime in Russia-China relations.”

During his opening remarks, President Xi said that he and the Russian leader planned to discuss the development of closer bilateral ties and “exchange views on major strategic issues.”

He said the two countries need to “use a historic opportunity to continue deepening strategic co-operation.”

The Chinese leader called for even closer high-level exchanges and pragmatic co-operation to ensure the further development of ties with deeper strategic co-operation and more active great power responsibility, according to Chinese media.

During his own opening remarks, televised by Russian television, President Putin praised the “strategic” energy ties between the two countries along with co-operation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and high-tech projects, including in the industrial sphere and space research.

The Russian leader applauded China’s decision to allow visa-free entry for Russians, a move that Moscow reciprocated.

In further remarks, the Russian president said: “I would like to once again assure you of firm support for our shared efforts to ensure the sovereignty and security of our countries, our socio-economic welfare and the right to choose our own development path.

“Amid the growing global turbulence, the foreign policy link between Moscow and Beijing has remained a major stabilising factor.”

President Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters after the summit, said that Moscow and Beijing “support each other on key issues concerning national interests in the face of external challenges.”

Mr Ushakov said that President Putin accepted an invitation to visit China in the first half of the year and will also attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.

The two leaders also discussed relations with the US, Mr Ushakov said, noting they “practically coincide,” including their assessment of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.

“Russia and China stand for equal and mutually beneficial co-operation on the basis of international law and the United Nations Charter,” Mr Ushakov said.