China, Russia to remain true to original aspiration of cooperation, maintain strategic focus

By He Yin, People’s Daily

At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on March 20 for a three-day state visit to Russia.

The visit will help China and Russia extend their friendship, keep high-level exchanges and deepen strategic coordination. It is conducive to safeguarding the common interests of the two countries, maintaining global strategic stability and promoting the common development of the world.

Head-of-state interaction is the compass and anchor of China-Russia relations. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state of the two countries, the China-Russia bilateral relationship has grown more mature and resilient, and the internal driving force for bilateral cooperation has become stronger.

At the end of 2022, Xi and Putin had a meeting via video link, which charted the course for the development of China-Russia bilateral relations this year.

In a changing and turbulent international environment, China and Russia, as each other’s largest neighboring country, should remain true to the original aspiration of cooperation, maintain strategic focus, and enhance strategic coordination to bring more benefits to the two peoples. They should also do so to fulfill their responsibilities in promoting multi-polarization of the world as permanent members of the UN Security Council. China-Russia relations enjoy a solid political, economic and cultural foundation and are calm and sober after summing up the historical experience.

To develop a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is a long-term strategic choice made by the two sides. The China-Russia relationship is based on no-alliance and no-confrontation, and it is not targeted at any third party. It is not a threat to any country, nor is it subject to any interference or discord sown by any third party.

China and Russia have found a path of major-country relations featuring strategic trust and good neighborliness, setting a good example for a new type of international relations. The two countries never build exclusive blocs. They are fostering friendship that is open and sincere.

Facing the rapidly evolving international situation, China-Russia relations have always maintained a healthy development momentum.

The two countries have witnessed steady progress in their economic and trade cooperation, as well as new achievements in cooperation in such fields as energy, investment and connectivity. They have also maintained strong momentum for cooperation in cross-border e-commerce, digital economy, biomedicine and low-carbon, and other emerging sectors.

Bilateral trade between China and Russia in 2022 rose 29.3 percent year-on-year to $190.27 billion. China has remained Russia’s largest trading partner for 13 years in a row.

The two countries will keep working for more positive results in trade, energy, financial and agricultural cooperation. They will give play to their traditional advantages, step up people-to-people and cultural exchanges and ensure the success of China-Russia Years of Sports Exchange for a more solid foundation of public will for China-Russia friendship.

Today the world has come to another historical crossroads. To revert to a Cold War mentality, provoke division and antagonism, and stoke confrontation between blocs, or to act out of the common good of humanity to promote equality, mutual respect and win-win cooperation – the tug of war between these two trends is testing the wisdom of statesmen in major countries as well as the reason of the entire humanity.

The multi-polar world and greater democracy in international relations, which China and Russia jointly support, are in line with the trend of the times and the aspirations of most countries. With China and Russia working together, the world will have a driving force toward multi-polarity and greater democracy in international relations, and global strategic balance and stability will be better ensured.

China is ready to work with Russia to push forward China-Russia relations in the new era and make global governance more just and equitable. The two sides will maintain close coordination in international affairs, safeguard the authority of the UN and the standing of international law, and protect true multilateralism.

They will enhance coordination and cooperation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, the BRICS and other multilateral mechanisms, to enhance solidarity and mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, safeguard the security and interests of the region, and protect the common interests of developing countries and emerging markets.

The more unstable the world becomes, the more imperative it is for China and Russia to steadily advance their relations. China is ready to work with Russia to fulfill their responsibilities as major countries, play a leading role, create more benefits for the two peoples and make greater contributions to the development of the world.