Xi, Putin call for promoting China-Russia youth friendship

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for photos with youths from China and Russia and faculty representatives as they visit the All-Russian Children's Center "Ocean" in Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 12, 2018.[Photo: Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have jointly called for more people-to-people exchanges between China and Russia.

The two leaders issued a statement while visiting Ocean, the All-Russian Children's Center located in the suburbs of Vladivostok. Ocean is Russia's largest state education organization for children and teenagers.

On the last day of the Chinese president's stay in Russia, the two leaders visited the center and attended commemoration events marking the 10-year anniversary of the center's hosting of hundreds of Chinese children from regions hit by a deadly earthquake in 2008.

Xi Jinping recalled how Russia immediately sent a rescue team to the disaster-stricken area after a massive earthquake hit Wenchuan County, killing nearly 70,000 people with 18,000 others listed as missing.

"In 2008, when the devastating earthquake struck Wenchuan, China, Russia responded immediately and extended a helping hand. At the invitation of the Russian government, 996 children from China's quake-hit area came to "Ocean" for rehabilitation and the experience will be etched in their memories,"Xi said. 

Noting that Russia and China have a tradition of hosting each others' children when there is need for recuperation, Putin said he hopes the young generations of the two countries will carry forward the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

The two leaders spoke highly of the profound friendship between Chinese and Russian peoples. 

Xi Jinping expressed his expectations to young people of both countries. 

"I hope the youths of China and Russia cherish the time, study hard and be enterprising. Make joint efforts to carry forward the great cause of China-Russia friendship and strive to be the pillars of nations. On behalf of the Chinese government and people and in my own name, I would like to invite teachers and students at the "Ocean" to visit China. I believe you all will receive warm welcome and hospitality from the Chinese people,"Xi said. 

Following the Wenchuan earthquake, nearly 2,000 children from the affected areas in Sichuan and Gansu provinces came to the Russian center for rehabilitation at the invitation of the Russian government. 

Another 299 children came for rehabilitation after a quake jolted Sichuan's Ya'an city in 2013.