Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about trade and cooperation at an economic forum in St Petersburg.
ADVERTISEMENTRussian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about cooperation between their two countries and international trade, at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Putin said that cooperation between the two countries was essential for global stability.
Putin also complained about protectionism from the West and warned the United States about its behaviour, saying that its economic egotism could be a path to endless conflict and trade wars, according to Reuters.
The Russian president complained about U.S. efforts to thwart a Russian gas pipeline to Europe and talked about what he called efforts to force Chinese technology company Huawei out of the global market.
Xi Jinping spoke about Russia as a strategic partner of China and spoke about working together towards "sustainable development" and "renewable energy".
Xi also spoke about digital innovation stating that China was ready to "share with all partners the technological inventions and know how, in particular, the 5G technology".
He emphasised China's commitment to the environment, stating he wanted to work together internationally to address climate change and preserve biodiversity.
China has signed the Paris climate agreement but is currently the world's largest carbon dioxide polluter.
Speaking on the same panel, Slovakia's Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said he hoped that the EU would not be drawn into a trade war with the United States, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was important that the US and China do not slide into a new Cold War.
Read more about the Trump administration's position on US and EU trade relations here.