Sino-Russian ties foster global stability

Xi’s Moscow trip serves the cause of world well-being, apart from bolstering bilateral relations

President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Russia from March 20 to 22 was his first foreign trip after being reelected China’s president earlier this month.

The visit has drawn international attention because it came just after the first anniversary of the RussiaUkraine conflict, and expectations that Xi will promote peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

The meeting between the two heads of state is seen to further strengthen the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era.

The Chinese and Russian leaders have been visiting each other’s country at regular intervals. Since 2013, Xi and Putin have held 40 meetings and discussed many bilateral and international issues including how to strengthen bilateral ties, better protect regional security, democratize international relations, improve global governance, facilitate global development, and help build a community with a shared future for mankind.

China and Russia have bolstered strategic mutual trust, and goodneighborly and friendly relations, creating a new pattern of international relations. Sino-Russian ties are a win-win pattern which includes features such as comprehensive strategic coordination without alignment, closely cooperating but with independent policies, safeguarding of their national interests without targeting each other, dealing with global issues, and settling disputes through consultation.

Why have China-Russia ties strengthened despite increased global turbulence? The answer lies in the fact that, despite being major countries, China and Russia have been cooperating to help stabilize the global situation and have formulated domestic and foreign policies in accordance with the interests and demands of their own countries and people without targeting any third party.

Trade and economy have been the foundation of bilateral ties. For example, bilateral trade in 2022 increased by 34.3 percent yearon-year to reach 1.28 trillion yuan ($185.41 billion). China’s exports of mechanical and electrical products to Russia were up 9 percent during the year, while exports of automobiles and auto parts surged 54 percent. In the first two months of 2023, energy trade hit $33.78 billion, up 36.4 percent year-on-year.

Besides, people-to-people exchanges between the two sides have enriched bilateral ties, thanks to the many China-Russia Year of Exchange themes such as language, tourism, youth and the media. For example, the sports-themed 2022-23 China-Russia Year of Exchange has been a great success.

No wonder many expect Xi’s latest trip to Russia to boost China-Russia win-win cooperation and promote the integration of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Russia’s Eurasia Economic Union.

The two countries have pledged to abide by non-alignment, nonconfrontation and non-targeting of any third country. But non-targeting of a third country does not mean allowing a third party to interfere in the internal affairs of either China or Russia.

On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China refuses to take sides because it has good relations with both Russia and Ukraine, but it disagrees with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which has been using the Ukraine crisis to wage a proxy war against Russia.

The US-led NATO is a legacy of the Cold War which should have been dissolved after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But instead of dissolving NATO, the Western powers have been expanding it eastward, triggering disputes with Russia.

After gaining independence, Ukraine promised to give up nuclear weapons, not join NATO and remain neutral. But it broke the last two promises, worsening the security situation in Eurasia and posing a threat to Russia, which sparked the current conflict.

On the Russia-Ukraine issue, China has adhered to the United Nations Charter and basic norms of international relations. China stands for justice and peace, and has consistently called for peace talks to help end the conflict, which was demonstrated once again in the document titled “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis” released in February.

Hence, during Xi’s visit to Russia, China stuck to its objective position and sought to play a constructive role in brokering peace between the warring sides. But whether the Ukraine crisis can be peacefully resolved or not depends on the policies and actions of the USled NATO, especially because the United States has been comparing the Ukraine crisis with the Taiwan question, in order to further interfere in China’s internal affairs.

However, the Taiwan question is totally different from the RussiaUkraine conflict, as Ukraine is a sovereign country and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. The Taiwan question is purely a domestic issue of China.

Russia has taken a clear position on the Taiwan question. “The Russian side reaffirms its support for the one-China principle, confirms that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and opposes any form of independence of Taiwan,” said a China-Russia joint statement on Feb 4 in 2022.

Amid rising uncertainties around the world, President Xi’s visit to Russia will not only strengthen ChinaRussia relations but also help foster world peace and promote global development.