Xinhua News Agency, Moscow, March 22 Topic: Friendship·Cooperation·Peace——Side Notes on the Kremlin Talks between the Chinese and Russian Heads of State
Xinhua News Agency reporter Hao Weiwei Liu Hua
In Moscow in March, the crisp air is filled with the warmth of early spring. After a rainy day, facing the afternoon sun, President Xi Jinping’s special car drove into the Kremlin on the left bank of the Moskva River, on Borovitsky Hill.
Six golden chandeliers complement each other, and the George Hall of the Grand Kremlin is full of brilliance. President Xi Jinping and President Putin walked towards each other from both ends of the red carpet. In front of the national flags of the two countries, the two old friends shook hands tightly, and the camera captured a new historic moment in Sino-Russian relations.
Ten years ago, it was also early spring, and it was also the first visit abroad after being elected as the president of the country. Came to the friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, walked into the Kremlin, and President Xi Jinping talked with President Putin for several hours.
In the past 10 years, the situation has changed and the world has changed. President Xi Jinping and President Putin have steered the steering wheel to lead the Sino-Russian relationship to move forward steadily. More mature, resilient, and more vigorous, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has established a new paradigm for major-country relations, injecting stability and positive energy into the world.
Old place, old friend; new blueprint, new chapter. On the 21st, the Kremlin talks between the heads of state of China and Russia opened up a new future of friendly cooperation and common development between China and Russia.
Keep going: for the mutual trust of major countries, for the good-neighborliness and friendship
On the newsstands on the streets of Moscow, copies of “Russia Gazette” are prominently placed. In the signed article by President Xi Jinping published on the front page, there is a sentence that resonates widely among people from all walks of life in Russia: “Sino-Russian relations have gone through ups and downs for more than 70 years. Looking back on the past, we deeply feel that today’s Sino-Russian relations have come from the past. It’s not easy, but the Sino-Russian friendship lasts forever and must be cherished even more.”
Entering a new time and space in history, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, China-Russia relations have entered a new position as a “comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era”, and have embarked on a road of strategic mutual trust between major countries and friendly cooperation between neighbors.
As the largest neighbors to each other, they are also comprehensive strategic partners of coordination. It is the proper meaning of Sino-Russian relations to travel more and communicate frequently.
This is the ninth time that President Xi Jinping has set foot on Russian soil in the past 10 years, and it is also the 41st meeting between him and President Putin.
The Alexander hall was brightly lit, and the golden door slowly opened. Two soldiers of honor saluted, and President Xi Jinping and President Putin walked side by side. Just after the small-scale talks, the two heads of state immediately turned to large-scale talks.
From 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., President Xi Jinping and President Putin communicated and exchanged in-depth for a long time in a “small-scale” and “large-scale” manner, and the duration of the two activities exceeded the original duration.
“The Russian side once again expresses warm congratulations to President Xi Jinping’s unanimous re-election as President of China and the formation of a new Chinese government.”
“There is great potential and space for Sino-Russian cooperation, which is strategic, reliable and stable.”
“The Russian side firmly supports China in safeguarding its own legitimate interests on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang.”
“No matter how the international situation changes, China will continue to be committed to promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia in the new era.”
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Many new and important consensuses have been reached on Sino-Russian relations and major international and regional issues of common concern. President Xi Jinping and President Putin coincidentally described the day’s talks as “frank,” “friendly,” and “fruitful.”
It is a “compass” and a “fixing star”. For the sustainable, healthy and stable development of China-Russia relations, exchanges between heads of state are crucial.
Recalling the past, pictures of friendship come to our faces.
In the Sochi Bocharov Creek Villa on the shore of the Black Sea, in the rainy Yundang Academy in Xiamen, in the antique Beijing Friendship Hotel, in the calm and solemn St. Petersburg Winter Palace, on the high-speed train from Beijing to Tianjin, in the On the cruiser Aurora on the banks of the Neva River… President Xi Jinping and President Putin talked about the past and present, the country and the people’s livelihood, from political mutual trust to practical cooperation to strategic coordination, and jointly planned all aspects of China-Russia relations.
Towards the future, draw blueprints to guide the future.
Simple and elegant malachite hall. In the early summer of 2019, at the historical node of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, President Xi Jinping and President Putin signed the Sino-Russian Joint Statement on the Development of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination in the New Era here, jointly opening a new era of higher-level and greater development of Sino-Russian relations. New Era.
Under the new historical conditions, how and where Sino-Russian relations will go has attracted worldwide attention.
In line with the principle of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation, we will promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields and deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era—President Xi Jinping and President Putin will point out the direction for the development of Sino-Russian relations in the coming period.
The Sino-Russian joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era is the most important political achievement of this visit. In front of the white signing table, the two heads of state signed at the same time. Exchange of letters, handshake, and warm applause echoed for a long time at the scene.
Do not slacken: for development and revitalization, for the well-being of the people
Just two weeks ago, there was another good news about China-Russia pragmatic cooperation: in the first two months of this year, the bilateral trade volume reached 33.686 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 25.9%, a successful start.
Once upon a time, “hot politics and cold economy” was a high-frequency term to describe Sino-Russian cooperation. During the visit 10 years ago, President Xi Jinping and President Putin reached an important consensus: “transforming the advantages of the high-level political relationship between the two countries into practical results” was listed as a strategic task for the development of Sino-Russian relations.
10 years of hard work and perseverance, 10 years of spring flowers and autumn fruits.
Feel the speed of Sino-Russian cooperation from two curves—one Sino-Russian trade volume curve, the bilateral trade volume will exceed 190 billion US dollars in 2022, an increase of 116% compared with 10 years ago; the other is the RMB transaction volume curve, in February this year, Moscow trade The trading volume of renminbi on the exchange exceeded 1.48 trillion rubles, one-third higher than that in January, and the renminbi surpassed the US dollar for the first time to become the currency with the largest monthly trading volume on the exchange.
The breadth of China-Russia cooperation is measured from two aspects: on the one hand, the cooperation in large-scale projects in the fields of energy, aerospace, and interconnection and interoperability is steadily advancing; “Crossing mountains and ridges” can also “go to the sky and enter the earth”. The field and scale of China-Russia practical cooperation continue to expand.
Touch the temperature of Sino-Russian cooperation from the well-being of the people’s livelihood of the two countries——Russian beef on Chinese tables, caviar, chocolate, candy and other products from Russia are sold all over China, and Chinese cars in Russian families allow Moscow citizens to travel More convenient “Chinese-style” subway stations, Russian coaches who lead Chinese apprentices to continuously hone their skills… The friendly bond connects thousands of families in China and Russia, and the results of cooperation bring tangible benefits to the people of the two countries.
During this meeting, the two heads of state once again exchanged extensive and in-depth views on practical cooperation issues of common concern. From expanding traditional trade in energy, resources, mechanical and electrical products, to increasing cooperation in innovation fields, to consolidating the foundation of people-to-people and cultural exchanges; from promoting investment, economic and trade cooperation to improve both the quality and quantity, to promoting the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” and the Eurasian Economic Union. From cooperation to strengthening the resilience of the industrial chain and supply chain… a new picture of Sino-Russian cooperation is speeding up and steady.
There is a new vision, a new blueprint, and new initiatives.
The joint statement on the development plan for the key directions of China-Russia economic cooperation before 2030 is another important document signed by the two heads of state, which clarifies eight key directions of China-Russia economic cooperation. There are also more than 10 inter-governmental and inter-departmental cooperation documents, involving agriculture, forestry, basic scientific research, market supervision, media and other fields, which are also heavy.
During the meeting on the 20th, President Putin told President Xi Jinping that China has achieved a huge development leap, and the whole world is interested in it. “We even envy you a little bit.” President Xi Jinping responded: “I am very grateful to Mr. President for his affirmation, praise and support for China’s development and construction. This is also an encouragement to us.”
In today’s world, the balance of international power and the evolution of the world pattern are accelerating. How countries view each other’s development, whether to choose a zero-sum game or strive for win-win cooperation, especially tests the political wisdom and diplomatic tolerance of those in power.
Both are big countries with long histories and brilliant cultures. They have all searched up and down to find a modernization path suitable for their own national conditions. They are both at a critical historical stage of development and revitalization. They both insist on firmly holding the destiny of national development and progress in their own hands. China and Russia A strategic decision has been made to become a “comrade on the road to development and revitalization”.
A long way to go: for world peace, for human progress
Come for friendship and cooperation, but also for peace and progress.
“On the Ukrainian crisis, China has always followed the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, upheld an objective and fair stance, actively promoted peace talks, decided its own position based on the merits of the matter itself, and always firmly stood on the side of peace, dialogue, and On the right side of history.” After the talks, President Putin and President Putin jointly met the press, and President Xi Jinping clearly stated China’s position on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.
The escalating Ukrainian crisis is the epitome of the world‘s century-old changes. “The more difficult it is, the more room there must be for peace; the more acute the conflict, the less we can give up efforts for dialogue.” China’s position on persuading peace and promoting talks stems from the worldview and feelings of a shared destiny.
“Human beings live in the same global village, in the same time and space where history and reality intersect, and more and more become a community of destiny where I am in you and you are in me.” 10 years ago, during his first visit to Russia, President Xi Jinping Propose to the world the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Over the past 10 years, it has always adhered to the foreign policy purpose of maintaining world peace and promoting common development, and has always held high the banner of promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China’s diplomacy in the new era has forged ahead vigorously and achieved far-reaching goals.
——This persistence is reflected in the rich practice of developing and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia in the new era.
Adhere to the concept of friendship from generation to generation and win-win cooperation, adhere to non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties, firmly uphold the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, practice true multilateralism, and promote the common values of all mankind… …As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major powers in the world, China and Russia have joined hands to inject impetus into the multipolarization of the world and the democratization of international relations, and provide guarantees for global strategic balance and stability.
“A model of a new type of major-country relationship featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation” and “a model of harmonious and creative cooperation among major powers”—”model” is the common positioning of President Xi Jinping and President Putin for Sino-Russian relations.
“The relationship between the two countries goes far beyond the bilateral scope and is crucial to the world structure and the future of mankind.” “We are working together to build a more just and democratic multi-polar world order”… President Xi Jinping and President Putin talked about China and Russia Global significance of relationships.
——This persistence is reflected in the responsibility of a major country to provide Chinese solutions to cope with changes in the world, times, and history.
Not long ago, under the mediation of China, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume diplomatic relations. The international community is paying more and more attention to China’s role as a “peacemaker”. Seeing President Xi Jinping, President Putin congratulated China on the successful promotion of the Saudi-Iraq-Beijing dialogue to achieve historic results, which fully demonstrates China’s important status and positive influence as a global power.
No self-interest, objective and fair, committed to peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results. The Chinese plan has won widespread attention, appreciation and support——
“The Russian side appreciates that China has always upheld an objective and fair stance in international affairs, supports China’s global security initiatives, global development initiatives, and global civilization initiatives, and is willing to further intensify international cooperation with China,” President Putin said.
“We believe that many of the contents of the peace plan proposed by China are consistent with Russia’s position and can be the basis for a peaceful settlement.” After the talks that day, RIA Novosti immediately issued a report “Putin: China’s Ukraine plan can be used as a solution to conflicts.” Base”.
“A world that is united rather than divided, and peaceful rather than turbulent is in the common interests of all mankind.” China’s consistent proposition has increasingly demonstrated the value of the times and the significance of the world.
After the event, President Putin personally sent President Xi Jinping to the boarding place. “Take care!” “Best trip!” The two old friends shook hands tightly again.
The sky is deep, the breeze is blowing, and outside the Kremlin, the Moskva River is still and deep. (Participating reporter: Liu Kai)
Video reporters: Li Shuzhen, Yin Jiajie, Liu Chunhui, Meng Jing, Chen Qiang, Cao Yang, Hao Weiwei, Sun Hao, Li Li, Lu Jinbo, Han Mo, Liu Kai, Han Liang