China and Russia DEEPEN TIES

by Mariann Őry

“THERE'S A CHANGE GOING ON NOW THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN 100 YEARS. AND WE ARE MOVING THAT CHANGE TOGETHER” – THESE WERE THE WORDS WITH WHICH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING BID FAREWELL TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AFTER THE SECOND MEETING OF HIS LANDMARK VISIT TO MOSCOW.

The world's attention was on Moscow when Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a three-day state visit – the highest in the gradation of foreign trips - to Moscow on 20 March. The Russian Federation was the first country the Chinese leader has visited since his March 10 re-election to a third term by the National People's Congress.

Upon his arrival, Xi Jinping said that China is ready to cooperate with Russia „to support true multilateralism, promote multipolarity in the world, democratise international relations and promote global governance on a more just and rational track”.

On the first day of his stay in the Russian capital, he held a one-to-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about four and a half hours, according to news agency reports. At the beginning of their meeting, the Russian president praised China’s successes: „China has made a colossal leap forward in its development over the recent years”.

The next day they held an extended meeting, and signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era and a joint statement on the development planning for the key directions of China-Russia economic cooperation before 2030.

Xi invited President Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to visit China and said that his country is ready to expand cooperation with Russia in trade, investment, supply chain, mega projects, energy and hi-tech areas.

– Xi Jinping in Russian Gazette (Российская газета)

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Putin said that the agreements they had signed „set forth a framework and fully reflect the special nature of Russian-Chinese relations, which are at the highest level in all our history”. He noted that with Xi Jinping they remain in touch at all times.

According to Xi, China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral scope and are crucial to the world and the future of mankind.

The author is an editor of Eurasia Magazine