Neighbors give fresh boost to cooperation

Premier Li Qiang co-chaired the 29th regular meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government in Moscow on Wednesday, along with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. [Photo/Xinhua]

This is an editorial from China Daily.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, which has played a decisive role in promoting the geopolitical alignment of the two countries and the convergence of their interests, China and Russia have continually strengthened their cooperation and coordination in recent years.

Washington has tried to make a meal of this as part of its geostrategic game, attempting to position the two countries in popular perception as rogue elements within the international system that need to be caged. But it is a no-brainer for the two neighbors to seek to tap the full potential of their complementary economies by making the most of their geographical proximity, world view affinities and mutual trust.

China is a manufacturing powerhouse with a huge consumer market, while Russia is rich in natural resources, particularly oil and gas, which means there are promising opportunities for trade and investment to the benefit of both countries. It should come as no surprise therefore that Premier Li Qiang's visit to Russia this week was a further demonstration of the two neighbors' resolve to strengthen their practical cooperation.

Li co-chaired the 29th regular meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government in Moscow on Wednesday, along with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, during which the two sides stressed the need to further optimize the structure of their cooperation by deepening it in traditional areas and working together to explore the potential of joint efforts in emerging areas. Since Russia is one of the world's largest producers of oil and natural gas, and China is one of the world's largest energy consumers, there is still significant energy cooperation potential to be tapped. There is also much scope for fruitful cooperation in other areas, such as emerging technologies.

Thus in the joint communique issued after Wednesday's meeting, the two neighbors indicated that they have agreed to a series of arrangements that will inject new vitality into their cooperative economic relations. These include expanding their cooperation in emerging areas such as the digital economy, biomedicine and green development, the holding of the ninth China-Russia Expo in Russia in 2025, the expansion of the mutual access categories of agricultural products, and cooperation in Arctic shipping routes.

All these fruitful results from this year's meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government indicate the two countries are making strenuous efforts to create new growth points for their economies and bilateral trade.

As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Moscow, it is only natural that the two countries should seize the opportunity to consolidate their friendly relations. In their joint communique, Beijing and Moscow reiterated that their relationship is not an alliance and it is nonconfrontational. It is only those who view the relationship through a lens of ideological antagonism that seek to portray it in a different, more sinister, light.

Instead of being a threat to global stability, or targeting third parties, as these cobwebbed champions of an obsolete worldview try to claim, the steady development of China-Russia relations not only serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also contributes to global development.

Sharing similar views on major global challenges and hotspot issues, the two neighbors have set an example of friendly and mutually beneficial major-country relations and act as a practical driving force for the realization of the Global South's aspiration for a fair and inclusive global system. Russia is a key partner in China's Belt and Road Initiative that aims to enhance infrastructure connectivity and economic cooperation across Asia, Africa and Europe, and the two countries also carry out close coordination and cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and other international frameworks.

In these ways, contrary to the smears of the hegemonists, the China-Russia ties uphold the spirit of multilateralism and fairness and seek to inject stability into a turbulent world.