SCO can play major role in Silk Road, Xi says in Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Ufa, Russia, July 8, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi and Putin achieved a comprehensive consensus on "mechanisms, areas and projects" to implement connections between the Silk Road proposals and the Eurasian Economic Union, said Gui Congyou, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

All the SCO members will be the "first platform" to implement the projects under a mechanism to link China and Russia's connectivity proposals in Asia and Europe, Gui added.

China has been Russia's largest trading partner for five consecutive years, and Russia is China's ninth-largest trading partner. Two-way trade reached $95.3 billion in 2014, up 6.8 percent from the previous year.

Putin's planned appearance at China's events marking the 70th anniversary of its victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) and the world's anti-fascist war shows that Moscow supports and recognizes China's often-overlooked contribution, Li said.

China plans to stage a military parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the anniversary. In May, Xi visited Moscow for talks with Putin and attended a vast military parade in Red Square to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

Contact the writers at wujiao@chinadaily.com.cn.