BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin's sudden announcement of constitutional changes that prompted the prime minister's departure won't affect increasingly close ties between Beijing and Moscow, China said Thursday. Under Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the China-Russian “strategic cooperative partnership has entered a new era, becoming increasingly mature, stable and resilient,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing. Bilateral relations “will not be affected by changes in the international situation and the respective domestic political processes of both sides," Geng said. He also praised former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for promoting Russian-Chinese ties, especially in the economic field.

Source: International New York Times January 16, 2020 10:07 UTC