中文
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Wang Yi, Chinese state councilor and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Moscow, February 22, 2023. [Photo/CGTN]
Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.
China-Russia cooperation is vital for stabilizing the international situation, Wang Yi, Chinese state councilor and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed in his talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
As neighbors, China and Russia have every reason to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. Over the past decades, relations between the two countries have withstood numerous tests arising from the international landscape. At a time when certain exterior forces are fanning the flames and stoking confrontation in the region, China-Russia ties have reached "new frontiers," as Putin and Wang agreed in their Wednesday talk.
Their bilateral trade rose 34.3 percent year-on-year to a record high of 1.28 trillion yuan ($190 billion) in 2022 and could soon reach $200 billion a year. Russia's natural gas exported to China via the China-Russia Eastern Gas Pipeline reached 15 billion cubic meters last year, and the volume is expected to rise further to 22 billion cubic meters in 2023. And there's plenty of room for further gains in the future.
Against the backdrop of a volatile international situation, the two countries shoulder significant responsibilities in maintaining peace and stability. Beijing sees no limit or restricted area for China-Russia strategic coordination that is all-weather and all-dimensional.
But this has raised the anxieties of some Western countries. China's position on the Ukraine crisis, in particular, is what has the U.S. and its allies concerned.
Residents are seen outside a damaged building in Volnovakha, one of the cities in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 15, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
As Wang said on Wednesday, Beijing supports multi-polarity and democratization in international relations. The China-Russia relationship is not directed against any third party. China's position on the Ukraine crisis has been consistent – working with the international community to avoid deterioration and strive persistently for peace.
The conflicts that have lasted for a year have inflicted heavy losses on both Russia and Ukraine. As a result of U.S.-led sanctions, Russia saw its GDP drop by 2.1 percent in 2022. The situation is even worse for Ukraine – with its GDP plummeting by 30.4 percent. The military activities in the region destroyed much of the country's factories and farms, and the reconstruction needs an estimated budget of $349 billion.
Further deterioration of the situation must be avoided for the well-being of the region. China remains firm on its position regarding dialogue and is willing to play a constructive role in easing the tensions. While Russia sees NATO's eastward expansion as a threat to its sovereignty, Ukraine regards membership in this Western bloc as a deterrence to Russia's influence. This is one of the primary reasons for the ongoing conflicts. To address this, dialogue, not war, is the solution.
China respects the territorial integrity of all countries, upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and supports all efforts conducive to a peaceful resolution. As Wang said, no matter how the international situation changes, China remains committed to making efforts to preserve the positive trend in the development of relations between major powers. But equally, China would not succumb to coercion or pressure from third parties.
The more complex the situation, the greater the need for China and Russia to cooperate. Against the backdrop of the geopolitical crises, the global pandemic and common challenges facing humanity, Beijing and Moscow have every reason to withstand pressure from third parties to intensify their ties.
