By He Yin, This year marks the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations. It is an important milestone year in the history of China-Russia relations.
On May 16, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who was on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The most important conclusion drawn from the 75-year history of China-Russia relations is that two neighboring major countries must always promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, respect each other on an equal footing, trust each other, accommodate each other’s concerns, and truly provide mutual assistance for the development and revitalization of both sides, Xi noted.
This is not only the correct way for China and Russia to get along, but also the direction that major-country relations should strive for in the 21st century, Xi said.
His important remarks have charted the course for the future development of China-Russia relations.
Head-of-state diplomacy is leading the all-round development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.
The two presidents have held over 40 meetings, maintaining close communication and offering strategic guidance on promoting healthy and stable development of bilateral relations between China and Russia.
This time, Xi and Putin had a candid and fruitful discussion. They had a comprehensive review of the successful experience in developing the China-Russia relationship, and had an in-depth exchange of views on the relationship as well as major international and regional issues of mutual interest, charting the course forward for their cooperation across the board.
The two heads of state signed and issued the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era in the Context of the 75th Anniversary of China-Russia Diplomatic Relations.
They also witnessed the signing of several important intergovernmental and interagency cooperation documents, injecting new, strong impetus into the sound development of China-Russia relations.
China and Russia will uphold the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party, continue to deepen two-way political trust, respect each other’s choice of development path, and realize development and revitalization with each other’s firm support.
In the past three-quarters of a century, the China-Russia relationship has grown stronger amidst wind and rain. China and Russia together have found a new path for major and neighboring countries to treat each other with respect and pursue amity and mutually beneficial cooperation. The China-Russia relationship has become a prime example of a new form of international relations as well as good-neighborly relations between the two major countries.
The notable progress in China-Russia relations is attributable to the two countries’ commitment to five principles.
First, China and Russia are committed to mutual respect as the fundamental principle of relations and always render support for each other’s core interests.
Second, China and Russia are committed to win-win cooperation as the driving force of relations and work to foster a new paradigm of mutual benefit.
Third, China and Russia are committed to lasting friendship as the foundation of relations and carry forward the torch of Sino-Russian friendship.
Fourth, China and Russia are committed to strategic coordination as an underpinning of relations and steer global governance in the right direction.
Fifth, China and Russia are committed to fairness and justice as the purpose of relations, and dedicated to the political settlement of hotspots.
With the concerted efforts of the two sides, China-Russia relations have been moving forward steadily, with enhanced comprehensive strategic coordination and further cooperation on economy and trade, investment, energy, and people-to-people exchanges, at the subnational level and in other fields. This has made positive contributions to maintaining global strategic stability and promoting greater democracy in international relations.
The two sides will take the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic ties as a new starting point, further synergize development strategies, continue to enrich the bilateral cooperation, bring greater benefits to the two countries and peoples, and contribute more positive energy to world prosperity and stability.
The two countries need to make further structural improvements to their cooperation, and consolidate the good momentum in trade and other traditional areas of cooperation.
Last year, two-way trade exceeded $240 billion, close to 2.7 times of that of a decade ago. This is a good indication of the all-round cooperation of mutual benefit that continues to deepen between the two countries.
The two countries need to look for areas where their interests converge, tap into their comparative strengths, deepen the integration of interests, and enable each other’s success.
They should make further structural improvements to their cooperation, consolidate the good momentum in trade and other traditional areas of cooperation, support the formation of platforms and networks for basic research, continue to unlock cooperation potential in frontier areas, step up cooperation on ports, transportation, and logistics, and help keep the global industrial and supply chains stable.
The two sides should create more highlights for people-to-people exchanges, jointly host successful China-Russia Years of Culture, strengthen cooperation at subnational levels, and continuously tighten the bonds between the two peoples.
By focusing on implementing the Roadmap for China-Russia Cooperation on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges Before 2030, the two countries are expanding people-to-people and cultural ties.
The two presidents have set 2024 and 2025 as China-Russia Years of Culture, proposed a series of cultural activities that are down to earth, close to people’s hearts, and popular among them, and encouraged closer interactions between various sectors and at subnational levels, so as to enhance mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples.
Both sides are willing to continue to strengthen cooperation within the frameworks including the UN, BRICS, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as well as communication on major international and regional issues, so as to establish a fair and equitable global governance system.
Both China and Russia are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major emerging markets. It is the shared strategic choice of both countries to deepen strategic coordination, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and follow the general historical trend of multipolarity in the world and economic globalization.
With Russia chairing BRICS this year and China taking over the chairmanship of the SCO later this year, the two sides will support each other’s chairmanship, build a high-quality partnership that is more comprehensive, close, practical and inclusive, and build the unity and strength of the Global South.
As a Chinese saying goes, “A mountain is formed by accumulation of soil, and an ocean is formed by accumulation of water.” After 75 years of solid accumulation, lasting friendship and all-round cooperation between China and Russia provide a strong impetus for the two countries to forge ahead despite wind and rain. Having reached a new starting point, China and Russia will always remain committed to their founding purpose and jointly shoulder responsibility to create more benefits for their peoples and make due contribution to global security and stability.
