Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on June 5 during his state visit to Russia. The two heads of state attended a gathering marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Chinese and Russian Presidents signed a joint statement and decided to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, jointly embracing higher level and better development of bilateral ties.
At this important historical juncture when the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Russia ties have built on past achievements and opened up new horizons, moving to growth of higher quality at higher levels.
It not only carries milestone significance in the development of bilateral ties, but also sets a new example for the relations between major countries.
The 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations marks both a milestone and a new starting point. Over the past 70 years, China-Russia relations experienced rains and storms, and have withstood the test of the ever-changing international environment.
Especially in the recent years, China-Russia relationship maintained a continuous, steady and sound development at a high level, and is at its best in history.
In the past 6 years, the heads of state of the two countries maintained frequent meetings on both bilateral and multilateral occasions, with Xi making 8 trips to Russia, leaving behind new stories on the history of China-Russia relations.
The two sides have continuously deepened political mutual trust, advanced practical cooperation, enhanced people-to-people exchanges and strengthened coordination on international issues, turning the China-Russia relationship into a big ship featuring the highest degree of mutual trust, the highest level of coordination and the highest strategic value.
When the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, China and Russia shoulder an even greater expectation from the peoples of the two countries and the international community. To enhance China-Russia relationship is a call of history, and a firm strategic choice of both sides.
The Chinese side is ready to join Russia in amplifying the positive effect of the two countries’ high level of political relationship, bringing more benefits of bilateral cooperation to the two peoples, and presenting more China-Russia options for global affairs, Xi said. His remarks reflected the strategic thinking to further enhance China-Russia relations.
Putin also bears the same aspiration. He called on the two countries not to be complacent about what they have achieved, but be dedicated to bettering their bilateral relations.
Signing the joint statement to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and the joint statement on strengthening contemporary global strategic stability, China and Russia have endowed their bilateral ties with new position and connotation. The two statements indicate the sense of responsibility of the two countries to safeguard global strategic stability, demonstrating the positive effects of their strategic coordination.
Standing at a new starting point of history, China-Russia relations are embracing new historical opportunities.
Xi called on the two sides to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, and further their mutual support on issues regarding their respective core interests.
He also urged the two countries to further promote their economic and trade cooperation, push forward cooperation on major strategic projects as well as in emerging fields at the same time, and boost cooperation at local levels, and in economy and trade, investment, energy, technology, aerospace, inter-connectivity, agriculture and finance sectors.
The two sides, according to Xi, should actively push forward their cooperation to dock the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Eurasian Economic Union so as to promote regional economic integration.
To step up people-to-people exchanges, Xi said the plan for the China-Russia year of scientific and technological innovation from 2020 to 2021 should be well designed.
He said China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, are going to continue working with the international community to safeguard the international order that is based on the international law with the UN at the core, maintain multilateral trading system and make new contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
These important suggestions made by Xi pointed a new direction and mapped out a bright future for China-Russia relations in the new era.
The goal of China-Russia partnership in the new era is for both sides to give more support to each other as they seek to take their own development paths, preserve respective core interests, and protect sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Political, security, practical, people-to-people exchanges, as well as international coordination cooperation, a priority of the China-Russia partnership, is serving as new connotation of the bilateral ties between the two countries.
Those who share the same aspiration will complement each other and achieve common progress. The world today is seeing rising uncertainties and instabilities. Entering the new era of China-Russia relations, the two countries have shown a strategic vision that is not blocked by “floating clouds”.
The China-Russia ties, growing more mature, stable and resilient, will definitely bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries, and play a larger role as a stabilizer and ballast stone in the peaceful development of the world.
