As they pledged strategic partnership, Russia and China on Tuesday rejected as rhetoric sanctions imposed by the West, during an official visit by President Vladimir Putin.

As they pledged strategic partnership, Russia and China on Tuesday rejected as rhetoric sanctions imposed by the West, during an official visit by President Vladimir Putin.

In a joint statement released during Putin’s visit, Beijing and Moscow promised “a new stage in full-scale partnership and strategic relations.”

“We have common priorities on a global and on a regional scale,” Putin said. “We’ve agreed upon closer coordination of our foreign policy steps, including those in the UN, BRICS and APEC,” he added.

Among attitudes Russia and China share is their mutual dislike of economic restrictions imposed for political reasons.

“The parties stress the necessity to… reject unilateral sanctions rhetoric,” the joint statement reads.

Economic restrictions applied as punishment are no better than financial aid to forces that seek “a change in constitutional system of another country,” the Russian-Chinese statement says.

The ongoing political crisis in Ukraine can only be resolved peacefully, Putin and Xi Jinping believe, calling on political opponents in Ukraine to switch from confrontation to dialogue.

"The sides urged all Ukrainian regions and public and political groups to enter in broad nationwide talks, develop jointly a concept of further constitutional development of the country, envisaging full observation of universally recognized rights and freedoms of people," the statement reads.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, China and Russia started joint naval exercises off Shanghai.

President Xi Jinping launched the drills at a ceremony in a room lined with officers of both navies in white dress uniform, with his Russian counterpart Putin looking on, state broadcaster CCTV showed.