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During Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to China, Beijing and Moscow agreed to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era on Thursday. The China-Russia relationship has become a fine example for major countries and neighboring countries to treat each other with respect and candor, and pursue amity and mutual benefit, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed.
As the world has been witnessing much turbulence in the past years, Beijing and Moscow are proving back-to-back support for one another. Instead of the "axis of dictatorships" as some Westerners hype, the two countries have been adhering to the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting at any third party.
"It is of fundamental importance that relations between Russia and China are not opportunistic and are not directed against anyone. Our cooperation in world affairs today serves as one of the main stabilizing factors in the international arena," TASS reported, quoting Putin as saying.
Advancing multi-polarity and economic globalization in the spirit of true multilateralism, Beijing-Moscow cooperation not only serves the fundamental interests of the two countries but is also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity of the world at large.
It is worth noting that during his China trip, Putin has been flanked by a massive delegation including high-level officials in energy, economy, trade and finance, and business tycoons in heavy industry and mining. Clearly, instead of forging a united political front as reported by some Western media outlets, the two countries have been endeavoring to expand their win-win cooperation in as many areas as possible.
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People, before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, May 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
"Chinese products are renowned for their good quality, extensive variety, and competitive pricing. In recent years, our company has maintained good cooperation with dozens of Chinese suppliers, and the trade volume has increased year by year," Dmitry Pismennyy, a Russian businessman engaged in foreign trade in southwest China's Chongqing, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
In 2023, China-Russia bilateral trade reached a historical high of $240.1 billion, close to 2.7 times that of a decade ago. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and Russia ranked the fourth among China's trading partners in 2023.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations, the two countries have also been organizing the eighth China-Russia Expo, which is taking place in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province from May 16 to 21. Since its inception in 2014, the expo has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian firms, facilitating contracts totaling 446.8 billion yuan (about $61.8 billion) in value, according to official data. This, without doubt, will instill more momentum to China-Russia's robust cooperation.
As unilateralism and power politics are still threatening world peace and prosperity, China and Russia are committed to establishing a more democratic multipolar world order. Under multilateral platforms including APEC, G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the two countries have been dedicated to strategic coordination, steering global governance in the right direction.
With Russia chairing BRICS this year and China taking over the SCO's chairmanship later this year, the two sides will support each other's chairmanships, build a high-quality partnership that is more comprehensive, close, practical and inclusive, and build the unity and strength of the Global South, Xi said. This is good news for developing countries that have been longing for a fairer global order and more say in international affairs.
Instead of a Cold War-like military and political alliance, the China-Russia relationship has demonstrated itself as a fine example for major countries in the new era, and an upgrade in their ties is in the interest of not only the two countries themselves, but also the rest of the world.
