A birthday cake and ice cream – these are the gifts Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared for Chinese leader Xi Jinping at Xi's 66th birthday on June 15, 2019. The two met at the fifth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. And this wasn't the first time they shared a birthday moment. In 2013, the Chinese leader celebrated Putin's birthday by drinking vodka with him. A close personal relationship has laid a solid political foundation for China-Russia ties. 

In June, when Beijing and Moscow decided to upgrade their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era," President Xi said, "This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. At this important moment, President Putin and I have unanimously decided to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era." 

The Russian leader responded, "I give my deepest gratitude to President Xi Jinping for his role in our nations' bilateral ties. He has taken it to an unprecedented high level, which has become beneficial to the people of both our countries." 

The two countries established diplomatic ties 70 years ago. After seven decades, the relationship has been advancing step by step. China and Russia signed a "good-neighbor treaty of friendship and cooperation" in 2001, and four years later, they reached final agreement over the eastern border, putting an end to 40 years of negotiation. In 2011, a "comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination" was formed, and that document entered a new stage in 2014. 

Two-way trade volume hit a record high of over 107 billion U.S. dollars in 2018. And China was Russia's largest trade partner for the ninth consecutive year. In April, Beijing and Moscow signed their first scientific cooperation agreement, setting up the "China-Russia Arctic Research Center" as part of the Polar Silk Road. Putin has twice attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. And Russia is considered to be one of the most important players in the Belt and Road Initiative. A few of the typical cooperation projects that stand out are the Great Wall car factory in Russia's Tula region and the Belyy Rast railway cargo terminal.    

In 2018, when Putin was asked in an interview with the head of China Media Group Shen Haixiong about the similarities between the Chinese Dream and Russian Dream, he replied, "China and Russia have very deep historical origins and foundations. The similar ways the two sides want to build our nations and treat our people have brought Russia and China ever closer. What's the most important part of the speech delivered by President Xi Jinping to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China? That's improving the lives of the people. There are many different ways to attain that goal but the goal remains the same. For Russia, besides improving the living standards of our citizens, we don't have any other goals." 

Xi made Russia his first foreign destination after he took office in 2013. And the two leaders have met some 30 times in six years. Putin has been honored with China's Friendship Medal, the first time the country's highest honor was bestowed on a foreign leader. This year, the Chinese president received an honorary doctorate at Russia's Saint Petersburg University. China and Russia both serve as permanent members of the UN Security Council and are major players in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, APEC, the G20, and BRICS.

Last year, nearly 85,000 Chinese and Russian students were studying in each other's country. The number grows year after year. 

Chinese tourists made 1.97 million trips to Russia and Russian travelers made just about as many to China. 

Xi has said many times: "The neighborliness and friendship between China and Russia will be passed down from generation to generation."