On Wednesday, President Xi Jinping began a state visit to Russia, an important diplomatic activity against the background of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Over the past 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-Russia relations have gone through a tortuous course before finally finding their most suitable model to get along: be good neighbors and establish strategic coordination. The past two decades is proof that it is precisely through this model that the two countries have set an example of how relations should go between neighboring countries and also between two major countries.

China and Russia's model of good-neighborly relations is characterized by the following three aspects:

First, maintain independent foreign policies and treat each other as equals. Only in this way can China and Russia develop sustainable relations without harming each other's national interests, and refrain from interfering in each other's domestic affairs.

Second, cooperate for mutual benefits. The two countries support each other and take care of each other's interests in their cooperation.

Third, being partners instead of allies. Non-alignment has allowed China and Russia to maintain independent foreign policies, while establishing a partnership that enables them to cooperate in areas where their interests are aligned. Their cooperation does not target any third country.

These three aspects, and the consensus between China and Russia on the importance of maintaining their relations, are hard-gained and need to be adhered to firmly in the future.

The strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia has been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. There are also a set of sound exchanges and cooperation mechanisms, under which frequent and effective consultations and coordination have consolidated mutual trust. In 2001, the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was signed, which established the principle of long-term good-neighborliness and the strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries in the form of a legal document. Besides, the total settlement of the boundary issues left over from history has created favorable conditions for the in-depth development of the two countries.

The rapid development of bilateral economic cooperation has become an important pillar of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. The trade volume between the two countries increased from $5.86 billion in 1992 to $107.06 billion in 2018. China has been Russia's main trading partner for eight consecutive years, and Russia has been one of China's major trading partners. The scale of mutual investment between China and Russia keeps growing, and the strategic cooperation projects in oil and gas, nuclear energy, aviation, aerospace and infrastructure construction have made remarkable achievements. In May 2018, China and the Eurasian Economic Union signed an economic and trade cooperation agreement, the implementation of which will facilitate bilateral trade and further promote economic and trade cooperation.

China and Russia have also conducted close cooperation in international affairs and achieved remarkable results. As major countries and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia have made important contributions to promoting multipolarization, establishing a new international political and economic order, maintaining global strategic stability and promoting world peace and development. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization established by the two countries has already had an important international influence and is a successful case of China-Russia cooperation at the regional level. The two sides have also worked together on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the Iranian nuclear issue, Afghanistan and Syria.

During the visit, Xi will hold talks with Putin, issue a China-Russia joint statement and a China-Russia joint statement on current international strategic stability, and witness the signing of about thirty agreements for cooperation in a range of areas. The two heads of state will attend other activities such as the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, and a performance to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their relations.

In the China-Russia joint statement, the two heads of state will fully affirm the achievements made in the development of China-Russia relations and reaffirm that the two countries should continue to make bilateral relations a priority in their respective foreign policies. As the core part of this political document, the two heads of state will make new plans for cooperation in all areas, including trade, investment, finance, energy, science and technology, people to people, and international affairs. Besides, they will align the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union for new cooperation. The signing of this statement will usher in a new era of high-level development. The implementation of the above-mentioned cooperation plans and agreements in various fields will also upgrade bilateral relations to a higher level.

The signing of the China-Russia joint statement on current international strategic stability is an important measure for the two countries to jointly tackle new challenges in the international strategic field. The withdrawal of the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty has shaken the international arms control treaty system and may trigger an arms race. This is another move taken by the US that threatens international and regional strategic stability after it unilaterally developed and deployed antimissile systems in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Since the INF Treaty and the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems are two of three cornerstones in the existing international arms control treaty system, their abandonment casts a shadow over the fate of the third, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty III, which will expire in 2021. China and Russia have not only publicly expressed their strong opposition to the actions of the US to tear down the foundations of international strategic stability in disregard of the overall interests of world security, they have also said they will adopt diplomatic measures to jointly safeguard international and regional stability.

The author is director of Department for Russian Foreign Policy Studies of Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The author contributed this article to China Watch exclusively. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Watch.

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