Beijing has expressed appreciation to the message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to President Xi Jinping over the floods in Henan province, saying that the message fully demonstrated the close friendship between the two leaders.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the fact that Putin has conveyed words of sympathy and support to Xi immediately after the floods showcased the solidarity between the two sides in their relations for a new era.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia, and bilateral relations are at their historic best, he said.

China stands ready to work with Russia to follow the concept of long-standing friendship and the principle of a new type of international relations and enable bilateral ties to keep securing new progress, he added.