Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday hailed Moscow's "positive efforts to defuse" the Ukraine crisis in a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, state media said.
Xinhua news agency reported Xi as saying "China is happy to see Russia and relevant parties make positive efforts to defuse" the crisis in Ukraine.
Moscow and Beijing have strengthened military and trade ties since Russia sent troops into Ukraine, though China has sought to depict itself as a neutral party amid the nearly three-year conflict.
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