Chinese President Xi Jinping’s latest trip to Russia on July 3 and 4 marked his sixth trip to the country since taking office in 2013. During the official visit, Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the third time this year. The leaders have established a close working relationship and personal friendship, and they are endeavoring to jointly promote closer ties between the two large neighboring countries.

To further strengthen the traditional friendship between China and Russia, the two heads of state vowed to continue consolidating and developing the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership based on the principles of equality, trust, mutual support, common prosperity and lasting friendship, to better benefit the two peoples and the world. 

One condition for the steady development of China-Russia relations is close communication and active coordination between the two countries in response to major international and regional issues. In particular, cooperation and coordination on polices, strategies and operations are necessary. 

Presidential communication plays a leading role in diplomacy, lending momentum to bilateral relations. Xi’s remarks during interviews with Russian media accurately summarized the state of bilateral relations, which caused great repercussions in Russia. This showed that though Xi values communication with Russia’s president, he also attaches great importance to exchanges with Russian people via media.

While Russia is an important strategic partner in constructing the “Belt and Road” initiative, it is urgent to expand cooperation in various areas. Xi’s visit to Russia greatly promoted the strategic connection between the initiative and the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union. Based on the increased connectivity and trade facilitation brought by the visit, cooperation in investment, energy, high-tech, agriculture and other areas between the two countries will be strengthened. 

It should be noted that the two countries are gradually abandoning the traditional pattern of cooperation. They are trying to increase cooperation in areas related to modern technology while raising the technological content of other cooperative areas.

For instance, substantial progress has been made in major projects like the Tianwan nuclear power plant as well as joint development of long-range wide-bodied airliners and heavy-lift helicopters. 

Another thing to note is that during his visit, Xi called on the two countries to carry out the Northern Sea Route cooperation to jointly build an “Ice Silk Road,” which received a positive response from Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Xi also exchanged views with Putin on issues concerning international and regional security. The two sides respect each other’s choice of development paths based on national conditions, and follow with interest each other’s policies for safeguarding core national interests. 

The two countries advocate multi-polarization and practice democracy in international relations. Through coordination and cooperation with the UN and other international organizations, the two countries consolidated the SCO, BRICS and other multilateral mechanisms. Coordination between China and Russia on the global stage in itself is a stabilizer and ballast stone for maintaining world peace and stability, manifesting the responsibilities of the two major countries.

In fact, China-Russia relations have achieved a high level of political and strategic mutual trust, and they are each other’s most reliable strategic partner. In addition to frequent state visits, different departments and regions of the two countries have also established mechanisms for exchanges, serving as an institutional guarantee for bilateral relations. 

The growing bilateral friendship lays the foundation for mutual social and economic development as well as social stability. Their collaboration in international affairs also forms the basis for world peace and stability. In this sense, China-Russia relations benefit not only the two countries but also the whole world.

Xing Guangcheng is a research fellow and director of the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.