Exchanges underscore vital role of heads-of-state diplomacy in steering relations
Global Times Commentary
China and Russia are preparing for another high-level diplomatic moment, with Russian President Vladimir Putin set to pay a state visit to China today and tomorrow. Ahead of the visit, both sides signaled strong expectations – yesterday in Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China and Russia will continue deepening and elevating relations between China and Russia to inject more stability and positive energy to the world, while in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia has “very serious expectations” for the trip.
Over recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has enjoyed sound, steady and in-depth development, with expanding cooperation in various fields, tangible benefits for the two countries and two peoples, and important contribution to maintaining global strategic stability and upholding international fairness and justice, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
Also yesterday, Russian Presidential Spokesman Peskov stressed that expectations from the Russian leader’s upcoming visit to China are very serious. He said that any contacts between the Russian president and President Xi help to give a new impetus for the further development and expansion of relations between the two countries, according to Russian News Agency Tass.
Chinese observers noted that the two-day visit by Putin and high-level exchanges demonstrate the high stability and steady high-level development of China-Russia ties under the regular heads-of-state meeting mechanism, and underscore the vital role of heads-of-state diplomacy in steering bilateral ties as well as the strong continuity of the strategic coordination and practical cooperation between the two countries amid profound shifts in the international landscape.
Consolidating bilateral foundations
“It will be President Putin’s 25th visit to China, during which the two presidents will exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields and international and regional issues of mutual interest,” said Guo while briefing on Putin’s upcoming visit.
The spokesperson added that the two sides will take this opportunity to continue deepening and elevating relations between China and Russia, so as to inject more stability and positive energy to the world.
According to Tass, Peskov told yesterday’s briefing that Russia’s delegation “will include all relevant deputy prime ministers, many ministers, and heads of state and private companies operating in China.”
Relations between Russia and China are diverse. In addition to trade and economic cooperation, we are actively developing our dialogue in the field of education. Incidentally, a Year of Russian-Chinese Cooperation in Education will be launched, according to Peskov, per Tass.
Timed to coincide with major bilateral anniversaries, Putin’s visit falls in the year which marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, while also marking the launch of the China-Russia Years of Education.
The visit embodies the mutually acknowledged principle of the right way for major countries to get along with each other, with both sides set to further chart bilateral ties along this path during President Putin’s visit, Li Yongquan, director of the Eurasian Social Development Research at the Development Research Center of the State Council, told the Global Times on Monday.
With this year marking the 25th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, the expert emphasized that the bilateral relationship is based on the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party.
Against three pivotal junctures, Wang Xiaoquan, an expert with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China-Russia relations rest on a solid foundation forged over years of steady development, adding that the two countries have built robust bilateral ties underpinned by sound communication and consultation mechanisms, as well as a comprehensive legal and treaty framework.
Multiple Russian media outlets reported that a joint statement along with a number of bilateral intergovernmental, interdepartmental, and other agreements, will be signed following the talks. The statement released by the Kremlin also mentioned “trade and economic cooperation.”
Developing bilateral ties stems fundamentally from the genuine needs of both countries rather than expedient moves subject to external influences, Wang said.
Against this backdrop, the two sides will likely conduct new communications and consultations on further consolidating the foundation of bilateral relations and expanding areas of strategic coordination, Wang continued.
Frequent engagement
With President Putin’s visit to China on the horizon, bilateral engagement continues to thrive, as seen in the ongoing 10th China-Russia Expo in Harbin. Nearly 300 Russian enterprises are participating in the event, displaying achievements in high-end manufacturing, energy equipment, modern agriculture and digital technologies. Its procurement group is expected to exceed 5,000 people, the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.
Chen Shijun, president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Heilongjiang Committee, said China-Russia economic and trade cooperation has expanded beyond traditional sectors such as energy and minerals into emerging industries, including the digital economy, green development and cross-border e-commerce, per Xinhua.
Russian media outlet TASS reported that high-quality Russian handicrafts are generating immense interest among visitors at the Expo in Harbin. Orenburg, Pavlovo Posad, and modern silk scarves are selling out quickly, as are exclusive, expensive tumbler dolls made of sable fur by an Evenki manufacturer.
Cai Guiru, first chairperson of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Russia, told the Global Times that while Chinese products have significantly improved in quality, Chinese companies are demonstrating stronger innovation capabilities, which is increasingly attracting Russian merchants, who show keen interest in China’s AI devices, smart products, and automotive exhibition exhibits.
Also one day ahead of the visit, the inaugural award ceremony for “Outstanding Diplomat Medal” was held in Beijing yesterday. Former Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov was among the eight foreign diplomats to receive the medal in recognition of their outstanding contributions to advancing friendship and cooperation between China and their respective countries, CCTV reported.
“They are our good friends who have a deep knowledge of China, builders of bilateral relations, pioneers in understanding China, pacesetters in fostering people-to-people bonds and contributors to mutual benefit. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has established the Outstanding Diplomat Medal specifically to show our appreciation and gratitude to their dedicated efforts,” Guo said during yesterday’s press conference.
With both sides having shown willingness to deepen future cooperation, the two countries have acknowledged their high-level political mutual trust and robust economic complementarity, and the present moment is ideal for translating such complementarities into tangible cooperation projects, Li said. “The upcoming visit is also expected to deliver substantial progress in practical cooperation,” Li continued.
Li said that as the world shifts to multipolarity amid growing uncertainties, China-Russia relations remain stable, and serve as a key stabilizer in a turbulent world. Against the prevailing global landscape, such engagements highlight China’s crucial stabilizing function within the international system.
The areas of strategic coordination have been expanded amid the shifts in the external environment, Wang said. The visit and further coordination of the two countries will contribute to refining the global governance system, championing genuine multilateralism, enhancing multilateral cooperation frameworks, and galvanizing collective momentum of the Global South, and bolstering global peace, security and strategic stability through deeper consultations.
– Courtesy of Global Times
Visitors interact with a humanoid robot at the 10th China-Russia Expo in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, on Sunday. The event, which opened Sunday, features more than 1,500 enterprises from 46 countries across a 55,000-square-meter exhibition space. – Xinhua
