On December 31, 2019, President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged New Year congratulatory messages.

In his congratulatory message, Xi Jinping, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, extended sincere greetings and best wishes to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people. Xi Jinping pointed out, 2019 was an extraordinary year in the history of the development of China-Russia relations. In the friendly atmosphere marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic relations, President Vladimir Putin and I jointly announced that China-Russia relations have entered a new era and opened up a new chapter in bilateral friendship. We signed and issued a joint statement between the two countries on strengthening contemporary global strategic stability, demonstrating the firm determination of China and Russia to jointly safeguard global strategic stability. Our cooperation in economy, trade, energy, people-to-people and cultural engagement, science and technology and at the sub-national level has been fruitful, bringing tangible benefits to our two countries and peoples and making great contributions to world peace and development.

Xi Jinping pointed out, 2020 has been designated the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation between China and Russia. The two sides will jointly celebrate the 75th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations (UN). I stand ready to maintain close contact with President Vladimir Putin and work together to elevate bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to new highs. China and Russia will jointly safeguard multilateralism and the international system with the UN at the core, so as to boost the development and revitalization of China and Russia, and add more stability and positive energy to a world changing in ways unseen in a century.

In his congratulatory message, Vladimir Putin extended his sincere New Year greetings to President Xi Jinping and wished the Chinese people happiness and good health. Vladimir Putin expressed, thanks to the joint efforts of both sides in 2019, Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has achieved significant progress. President Xi Jinping and I have met several times and reached a series of important consensuses, which have opened new prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields between Russia and China. The governments, legislative bodies and various departments of the two countries have engaged in productive coordination. The Russia-China east-route natural gas pipeline was completed and put into operation. The two sides successfully held activities marking the year of sub-national cooperation and exchanges, which further promoted mutually beneficial cooperation at sub-regional level. In 2020, we will usher in another major national theme year, the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation between Russia and China. The Russian side attaches great importance to it. I firmly believe that, with joint efforts, the two countries' all-round cooperation and our constructive coordination on international affairs will be upgraded to higher levels.

On the same day, Premier Li Keqiang and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also exchanged New Year congratulatory messages. In his congratulatory message, Li Keqiang said, 2019 was a special and greatly significant year in the development of the China-Russia relations, as bilateral relations have been elevated to the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. The two sides successfully held the 24th regular meeting between Chinese Premier and Russian Prime Minister and reached much new cooperation consensus. I am willing to work with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to give full play to the existing mechanisms and platforms to inject more new impetus into the common development and revitalization of the two countries. Dmitry Medvedev said in his congratulatory message, the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is at its best in history and it is believed that bilateral cooperation in various fields will achieve more new achievements in the new year.