Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Thursday praised the high-level Russian-Chinese political mutual trust, which serves as a key foundation for bilateral ties. 

Receiving Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan in the Kremlin, Putin said that mutual trust is an important content of the Russian-Chinese treaty of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation, which Russia is making all efforts to implement.

Putin said that the Russian-Chinese relationship, based on the common interests of both sides, is a demonstration of friendly cooperation and will not be interfered by external factors.

The president stressed that he is satisfied with the military ties and cooperation between the two nations.

Cao, also the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and a state councilor, pledged that the Chinese government will consistently give diplomatic priority to the development of Sino-Russian strategic partnership, which has yielded remarkable results over the past decade.

He said that China highly admires Putin's crucial contribution to furthering the bilateral strategic partnership.

Cao arrived here Monday for a week-long visit at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov.

(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2003)