China’s Xi says he’s ready to work with Putin to advance bilateral ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that he is ready to "push for continuous new progress" in bilateral ties with Russia.

Xi made the remarks in a message where he exchanged New Year greetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

In his message, Xi said the year 2025 "marks a concrete step in the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era," the report said.

His remarks came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow is against "any form of independence" for Taiwan.

In comments to the Russian state news agency Tass published Sunday, Lavrov said his country's position on the Taiwan issue is "well-known, unchangeable, and has been repeatedly reaffirmed at the highest level."

"Russia recognizes Taiwan as an integral part of China and opposes any form of independence for the island," he said.

"We proceed from the premise that the Taiwan issue is an internal matter for the PRC (People's Republic of China). Beijing has every legitimate basis for defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.

The statement came amid growing tensions between China and Japan since Nov. 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could legally constitute a "survival-threatening situation," potentially allowing Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense.