This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination.

In 1996, Beijing and Moscow signed a joint statement, proclaiming the forging of a strategic partnership of equality and trust oriented towards the 21st century. Over the past 30 years, the friendly relationship between the two countries has been continuously enriched, with bilateral cooperation reaching an unprecedented level.

In an era of frequent geopolitical conflicts and rising unilateralism, China-Russia relations have stood firm against winds and storms, demonstrating great stability and resilience. Behind this unshakable relationship lies a clear and solid consensus rooted in equality, mutual benefit and joint pursuit of multilateralism.

New paradigm for major-country ties

The fundamental cornerstone of China-Russia relations is the adherence to equality, respect and mutual benefit, as well as the principle of non-alignment, non-confrontation and not targeting any third parties.

Based on a correct strategic understanding of each other, the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination represents the direction of a new type of major-country relations, setting an example for relations between neighboring countries.

It provides conditions for both countries to conduct extensive cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit in all fields. With this partnership, the two countries are on a complete footing politically, can conduct beneficial cooperation economically and will trust each other in security and enhance coordination in international affairs.

Head-of-state diplomacy offers an essential political advantage and fundamental guarantee for the sustained high-level development of China-Russia relations. Over the years, the two heads of state have maintained close exchanges through mutual visits, bilateral meetings on major multilateral occasions, video conferences, phone calls and exchanges of letters. These interactions have provided top-level design and strong strategic support for bilateral relations in the new era.

Under their strategic guidance, China-Russia relations have grown more mature, resilient and stable. Deepened political mutual trust, closer strategic coordination and expanded practical cooperation have supported the development and revitalization of both countries while safeguarding their shared interests in major international and regional affairs.

Cooperation in full swing

Practical cooperation serves as a vital intrinsic driving force for the sustained development of China-Russia relations. Faced with global headwinds, bilateral cooperation has forged ahead, maintaining a steady and positive momentum.

Bilateral trade volume has maintained steady growth, exceeding $200 billion for three consecutive years. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, with mutually beneficial cooperation covering energy, agriculture, the digital economy and other fields.

In recent years, practical cooperation has not only seen rapid growth in trade volume, but also significant improvements in quality and level. Notably, in addition to the progress in areas such as industrial chain cooperation and sub-national collaboration, the two sides have achieved fruitful results in logistics and infrastructure connectivity, local currency settlement and cooperation in countering sanctions.

Russia is an important partner for China in carrying out international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. More than 70% of China-Europe freight trains run through routes via Russia, with the number of trips continuing to reach record highs.

Meanwhile, the completion of "hard connectivity" projects such as the Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye cross-border railway bridge and the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk cross-border highway bridge has significantly reduced logistics costs between the two sides.

Cooperation in agriculture and technology has also produced notable results. Russia has become China's third-largest source of agricultural imports, with bilateral trade in products such as soybeans and beef growing at an average annual rate of over 20% in recent years.

Technological collaboration has made significant strides as well, with joint projects in fields including aerospace, quantum communication and artificial intelligence (AI). Meanwhile, China's exports of automobiles and electromechanical products to Russia, along with local investment in production lines, have developed in tandem. Chinese-made vehicles and electronic products have gained strong popularity among Russian consumers, with their market share steadily increasing.

During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who visited China last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the two countries to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and promote the bilateral strategic partnership of coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields to a higher level.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination will continue to move forward at a higher level, injecting strong impetus into the development, revitalization and modernization of both countries.