New impetus injected to promote healthy development of Sino-Russian relations

This is an editorial from China Daily.

The current high-level cooperation between China and Russia is the result of the joint guidance given by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who have steered bilateral relations in the right direction with their shared commitment to good-neighborliness, comprehensive strategic partnership, and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Having exchanged greetings on New Year's Eve, the two leaders had a video call on Tuesday in which they exchanged Chinese New Year greetings and reiterated their joint resolve to promote practical cooperation to advance the high-quality development and modernization of the two countries.

Xi called on the two countries to continuously use the certainty and resilience of their relations to respond to the rising uncertainties of the external environment, and to jointly promote the two countries' common development and safeguard international fairness and justice.

To that end, he said that the two countries should further strengthen their good neighborly relations, which have displayed fresh vitality over the past year, and consolidate their strategic coordination to safeguard the two countries' legitimate interests and deepen their pragmatic cooperation.

Echoing Xi's remarks, Putin said that Russia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in multilateral affairs and play an active role in promoting world peace and development.

The exchanges between the two heads of state are both the compass and anchor for the mutually beneficial relations between China and Russia. Over the past year, the two heads of state have met three times — in Beijing, Astana, and Kazan — and maintained smooth communication through various channels. Their candid exchanges of views have helped forge a consensus on building on the two countries' enduring friendship to continuously upgrade bilateral relations based on the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples.

Beijing and Moscow over the years have developed a new paradigm for international relations. The two countries are not military-political allies, but rather represent a new model of major power relations characterized by non-alignment, non-confrontation, and by not targeting any third country.

The cooperation between China and Russia has gone beyond the bilateral scope, and they are consolidating the solidarity of developing countries via multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS cooperation mechanism so as to make the international order more just and equitable, and jointly safeguard global strategic stability.

The development of their relationship is not a threat to any country, nor is it subject to any interference from any third party. Both countries are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and are fully aware of the historical responsibilities they shoulder to uphold the postwar world order with the United Nations at its core.

This is especially true as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, and it is therefore a timely occasion for the world to recognize and uphold the authority of the world body.

After 75 years of profound development since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Moscow, China-Russia ties have reached their highest level in history, resulting in deepening cooperation that is bringing real benefits to the two peoples and making new contributions to safeguarding world peace and stability.

As Xi said, the two neighbors should encourage all countries to practice true multilateralism, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and adhere to the universally recognized basic norms of international relations.