BEIJING,
Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- A signed article by President of the Russian
Federation Vladimir Putin titled "Russia and China: A Future-Oriented
Strategic Partnership" was published by Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.
The following is the full text of the article:
Russia and China: A Future-Oriented Strategic Partnership
Vladimir Putin
President of the Russian Federation
On
the eve of my upcoming visit to China, I am pleased to communicate
directly with the Chinese and foreign audience of Xinhua, the largest
news agency.
Our
countries are close neighbours bound by centuries-old traditions of
friendship and trust. We highly appreciate that Russia-China
comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, entering a new era,
has reached an unprecedented level and become a model of efficiency,
responsibility, and aspiration for the future. Last year, we celebrated
the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly
Cooperation. The basic principles and guidelines for joint work were
defined by our two countries in the treaty, which include first and
foremost, equality, consideration of one another's interests, freedom
from political and ideological circumstances as well as from the
vestiges of the past. These are the principles we consistently build on
year after year in the spirit of continuity to deepen our political
dialogue. Despite the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic,
we are striving to build the capacity of economic partnerships and
expand people-to-people exchanges.
During
the upcoming visit, President Xi Jinping and I will thoroughly discuss
key issues on the bilateral, regional, and global agendas. It is
symbolic that our meeting will take place during the Spring Festival -
the Chinese Lunar New Year. After all, as the Chinese saying goes, "The
whole year's work depends on a good start in spring."
The
development of business ties will certainly be given special attention.
There is every opportunity for this as our countries have substantial
financial, industrial, technological and human resources allowing us to
successfully resolve long-term development issues. Working together, we
can achieve stable economic growth and improve the well-being of our
citizens, strengthen our competitiveness, and stand together against
today's risks and challenges.
At
the end of 2021, the volume of mutual trade increased by more than a
third, exceeding the record level of 140 billion U.S. dollars. We are
well on the way towards our goal of increasing the volume of trade to
200 billion U.S. dollars a year. A number of important initiatives are
being implemented in the investment, manufacturing, industrial and
agricultural sectors. In particular, the portfolio of the
Intergovernmental Commission on Investment Cooperation includes 65
projects worth over 120 billion U.S. dollars. This is about
collaboration in such fields as mining and mineral processing,
infrastructure construction, and agriculture.
We
are consistently expanding settlements in national currencies and
creating mechanisms to offset the negative impact of unilateral
sanctions. A major milestone in this work was the signing of an
agreement between the Government of Russia and the Government of China
on payments and settlements in 2019.
A
mutually beneficial energy partnership is being formed between our
countries. Along with long-term oil and gas supplies to China, we have
plans to implement a number of large-scale joint projects. The
construction of four new power units at Chinese nuclear power plants
with the participation of Rosatom State Corporation launched last year
is one of them. All this significantly strengthens the energy security
of China and the Asia region as a whole.
We
see an array of opportunities in developing partnerships in information
and communication technologies, medicine, space exploration, including
the use of national navigation systems and the International Lunar
Research Station project. A strong impetus to strengthening bilateral
ties was given by the cross Years of Russian-Chinese Scientific and
Technological Innovation in 2020-2021.
We
are grateful to our Chinese colleagues for their assistance in
launching the production of Russian Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines
in China and for the timely supply of necessary protective equipment to
our country. We hope that this cooperation will develop and strengthen.
One
of Russia's strategic objectives is to accelerate the social and
economic development of Siberia and the Russian Far East. These
territories are in the immediate neighborhood of China. We also intend
to actively develop sub-national cooperation. Thus, the modernization of
the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway has been
started. By 2024, their capacity will increase one and a half times
through higher volumes of transit cargo and reduced transport time. The
port infrastructure in the Russian Far East is also growing. All this
should further enhance the complementarity of the Russian and Chinese
economies.
And,
of course, the conservation of nature and shared ecosystems remains an
important area of local and cross-border cooperation. These issues have
always been a focus of our countries' public attention, and we will
certainly discuss them in detail during the meeting, as well as a wide
range of people-to-people and cultural topics.
Russia
and China are countries with thousands of years of unique traditions
and celebrated cultural heritage. Interest in Russian and Chinese
cultures is high in both and other countries. It is true that in the
last two years the number of tourists, joint big-scale events and direct
contacts between our citizens has reduced due to the pandemic. However,
I have no doubt that we will catch up and, as soon as the situation
allows, will launch new outreach and educational programs to introduce
our citizens to the history and present-day life of the two countries.
Thus, President Xi Jinping and I have agreed to hold the Years of Sports
Exchanges in 2022 and 2023.
Certainly,
an important part of the visit will be a discussion of relevant
international topics. Foreign policy coordination between Russia and
China is based on close and coinciding approaches to solving global and
regional issues. Our countries play an important stabilizing role in
today's challenging international environment, promoting greater
democracy in the system of international relations to make it more
equitable and inclusive. We are working together to strengthen the
central coordinating role of the United Nations in global affairs and to
prevent the international legal system, with the UN Charter at its
centre, from being eroded.
Russia
and China are actively cooperating on the broadest agenda within BRICS,
the Russia-India-China framework, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
as well as other multilateral frameworks. Within the G20, we are
committed to taking national specifics into account when formulating our
recommendations, be it the fight against pandemics or the
implementation of the climate agenda. Thanks to a large extent to our
countries' shared solidarity, following the 2021 G20 Summit in Rome,
informed decisions were made on international cooperation to restore
economic growth, recognize vaccines and vaccine certificates, optimize
energy transition, and reduce the risks of digitalization.
We
also have convergent positions on international trade issues. We
advocate maintaining an open, transparent and non-discriminatory
multilateral trading system based on the rules of the World Trade
Organization. We support restoring global supply chains. Back in March
2020, Russia proposed an initiative on "green trade corridors" that
excludes any sanctions, political and administrative barriers. Its
implementation is a useful aid to overcoming the economic consequences
of the pandemic.
The
XXIV Olympic Winter Games in Beijing will be a major event of global
significance. Russia and China are leading sporting nations renowned for
their sporting traditions and have hosted large international sports
games more than once. I fondly remember my visit to Beijing in August
2008 to attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Guests
and athletes from Russia will remember the vivid performance for a long
time, and the Games themselves were organized with the exceptional
hospitality inherent to our Chinese friends. For our part, we were
delighted to host President Xi Jinping at the opening of the 2014 Winter
Olympics in Sochi.
Sadly,
attempts by a number of countries to politicize sports for their
selfish interests have recently intensified. This is fundamentally wrong
and contrary to the very spirit and principles of the Olympic Charter.
The power and greatness of sports are that they bring people together,
give moments of triumph and national pride as well as delight with fair,
just and unwavering competition. And these approaches are shared by
most of the countries participating in the international Olympic
Movement.
Our
Chinese friends have done tremendous work to prepare well for the
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. I am convinced that China's
extensive experience in the excellent organization of representative
international competitions will make it possible to hold this global
festival of sports of the highest level. I would like to wish the
Russian and Chinese teams impressive results and new records!
I
send my warmest congratulations to the friendly people of China on the
occasion of the Spring Festival, which marks the beginning of the Year
of the Tiger. I wish you good health, prosperity, and success. ■