Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses his annual press conference in Moscow Hydro Flask 10 OZ Wine Tumbler Blue , Russia, Dec. 14, 2017. (XinhuaBai Xueqi) MOSCOW, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia and China will remain strategic partners in the long term regardless of the outcome of the upcoming Russian presidential election, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
"I am fully convinced that the development of relations with China enjoys a national consensus in Russia, and irrespectively of the outcome of the (Russian presidential) election campaign, Russia and China will remain strategic partners for an extensive historic perspective," Putin told Xinhua during his annual press conference.
Putin reiterated that China's Belt and Road Initiative is perfectly compatible and can be incorporated with the development of the Eurasian Economic Union and Russia's proposals on a broad partnership in Asia.
He highlighted the two countries' major joint projects including projects in the Arctic, liquefied natural gas plants, high-speed railway, high-tech sector and space sector, especially the promising prospects of potential cooperation in developing the Northern Sea Route.
"If we guarantee the use of it all year round, and I hope we may reach this goal quite fast, the circulation of articles between Asia and Europe will be more economically feasible than through the existing routes... Both Russia and China are interested in this," said Putin.
Speaking highly of China's fast economic growth, Putin said that decisions adopted at the latest national congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) reflect a positive agenda of China's development, which coincides with Russia's pursuit in its own development.
"The innovative clauses in the Charter of the CPC indicate that China is striving to be stable while guaranteeing development and to improve the life of its people on the basis of this development," he said.
It is extremely important to Russia because China is Russia's major trade and economic partner and its strategic partner "in the broadest sense of this word," he said.
In the first three quarters of 2017, trade volume between China and Russia has reached 61.4 billion U.S. dollars, increasing by 22.4 percent on a year-on-year basis.
BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A regulation was released Monday to safeguard the rights of lawyers to meet imprisoned clients.
"Meetings between lawyers and the convicted should not be monitored during the period of investigation, prosecution and trial, if the detainee is charged with new crimes committed in the prison," said the regulation issued by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).
Police officers are not allowed to attend such meetings, which also applies to prisoners charged with new crimes allegedly committed before their prison terms.
"The provisions are fully in compliance with the Criminal Procedure Law and the Law of Lawyers," said a statement from the MOJ.
The new rule expands the scope of services lawyers can provide to prisoners and requires prisons to provide convenience for lawyers, such as with appointments, proper meeting rooms and timely responses to applications.
It also detailed the multiple channels where lawyers could file petitions or complaints about treatment received in prison.
The regulation is an update of an interim version introduced in 2004.