World
Speaking a Common Language
Xi-Putin personal relationship adds vitality to bilateral cooperation
By Bai Shi  ·  2017-07-07  ·   Source: | NO. 28 JULY 13, 2017
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 4 (XINHUA)

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia on July 3 and 4, his sixth to the neighbor since assuming office. During the 26-hour trip, he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, signing joint statements with the Russian side on deepening the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination and on major international affairs.

The two presidents have had 21 face-to-face meetings so far. Also, this was the third time they met this year. It has become almost routine for the two leaders to meet annually, with the regular and close top-level exchanges reflecting the stable and strong relations between the two neighboring countries. Xi has said that the frequent contacts have lent impetus to the development of China-Russia relations.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development, and the 60th anniversary of the founding of the China-Russia Friendship Association. It is also the year of China-Russia media exchange, with the two sides carrying out a series of events, enhancing the friendship between their peoples and consolidating public opinion on the relationship.

Alexey Maslov, a leading Russian scholar and professor at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, said to Xinhua News Agency that "such close high-level dialogues between Chinese and Russian leaders are unprecedented."

The two leaders have multiple channels of communication, including the regular bilateral meeting mechanism and multilateral mechanisms on international occasions. With these convenient channels, they can keep up coordination on major issues, Maslov added.

Drilling machines on the oil fields in Izhevsk of Russia, operated by Udmurtia Petroleum Corp., a joint venture company between China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., and Russia's Rosneft Oil (XINHUA)

Strategic mutual trust

During Xi's visit, the two leaders made a number of joint declarations on bilateral relations as well as regional and global hot-button issues, including climate change and the Korean Peninsula tension.

Li Yongquan, Director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Economic Daily that the trip would enhance bilateral cooperation on the basis of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

"The partnership is a good example of the new type of bilateral relations between major powers. With joint efforts, China and Russia, drawing lessons from their historical experiences and respecting each other's core interests, have found a way to build a firm partnership. Today, the partnership has become very mature," Li said.

According to him, a highlight of the mature partnership is the establishment of a comprehensive framework which includes consultation and coordination mechanisms and channels at various levels and in different sectors. With such a framework, China and Russia can enjoy good communication on issues of joint concern.

Li said the bilateral leaders' meetings are the core of all the consultation and coordination mechanisms. Every year, the two leaders have four or five meetings on both bilateral and multilateral occasions.

Since China and Russia have no outstanding political or historical problems in bilateral relations, they should work to upgrade their pragmatic cooperation, he added.

Sergey Lusyanin, Director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua that China and Russia have mutually supported each other's concerns on sovereignty, security and development for a long time. The partnership has been consolidated, step by step, via different bilateral treaties in the past.

He pointed out that a consistent stance with China on critical world issues is a basic element to maintain regional and global stability. "In international relations, the Russia-China partnership has evolved beyond many other partnerships," he remarked.

Lusyanin called it interesting that Chinese and Russian leaders can always find common ground and reach consensus. The personal friendship between them, he felt, has a good influence on bilateral relations. Every state visit by them can bring a new focus on bilateral relations and inject impetus into cooperation.

With regard to developing the strategic partnership, Li said China and Russia should strengthen cooperation on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) platform, making it play a bigger role in maintaining regional security and peace.

The SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, in June admitted India and Pakistan as new members, expanding its influence to South Asia. With the complicated security situation in Central and South Asia, there is potential for China and Russia to enhance strategic coordination under the SCO framework, Li said.

Vast potential

At the Moscow meeting, Xi and Putin spoke highly of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in mid-May. They agreed to continue to synergize their respective development strategies and the docking between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

In his meeting with Medvedev, Xi said the two countries should cooperate on the Northern Sea Route to realize an "ice Silk Road" and implement connectivity projects.

The two neighbors are implementing major manufacturing cooperation projects and strengthening high-speed rail cooperation. The Moscow-Kazan high-speed railroad project is expected to start soon.

Li said seeking common development is a pillar in promoting China's relations with foreign countries.

During a visit to Russia on May 8, 2015, Xi and Putin signed a joint declaration on docking the Belt and Road Initiative with the EEU. The document laid a political foundation for cooperation related to the EEU. In June 2016, China and Russia proposed to build a Eurasian comprehensive partnership.

Li said there is huge potential in bilateral relations. China and Russia are highly complementary in economy and trade, particularly in commodities, technology, labor and energy.

Trade between China and Russia declined in the wake of the international financial crisis and was also affected by exchange rate volatility. However, it did not affect commodity trade seriously. Actually, the quality of trade was improved.

In the business circles of the two countries, there is a call to synergize the development of Russia's vast eastern region of Siberia and China's northeast provinces. With the Belt and Road Initiative welcomed in Russia, the Russian Government has outlined a blueprint to build an international transport corridor in the coastal areas of eastern Siberia, and Russia's local governments are working to attract Chinese investment.

Li Ziguo, Deputy Director of the Department for European-Central Asian Studies under the China Institute of International Studies, wrote in a recent research report on the Russian economy that promoting development in Russia's far east territory is a priority for the Putin administration, which has issued a number of favorable policies to draw foreign investment.

However, there are several critical problems. The region is underdeveloped in infrastructure and short of labor, with its population accounting for less than 5 percent of Russia's total population. Russia needs foreign investment and labor to advance local economic growth in this region, and China is the best choice, Li Ziguo said.

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar

Comments to baishi@bjreview.com

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