Chinese President Xi Jinping will join his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin via video link in Beijing to witness the ground-breaking ceremony of the bilateral nuclear energy cooperation project on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told the media here on Tuesday. 

Both the countries signed a package cooperation deal in 2018 and agreed to jointly build units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and units 3 and 4 of Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant. 

The Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant is located in the city of Lianyungang in Jiangsu province. The Xudapu Nuclear Power plant is located in Xingcheng in Liaoning province. 

''This has been the biggest China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation project to date and represents the highest level of practical cooperation between the two sides," Zhao said. 

The successful beginning of the construction of the four units demonstrates the major cooperation outcomes in high-end equipment manufacturing and science and technology innovation and will boost the upgrading of practical cooperation between the two countries, he said. 

Since nuclear energy is clean and efficient, the four units, after completion, will effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions, he said. 

The two countries firmed up their close ties as they faced mounting adversity from the US and European Union on a host of issues.