BEIJING: President Xi Jinping is scheduled to kick off a three-day visit to Russia on Monday that is expected to guide the high-level China-Russia relationship further forward and inject more stability into the complicated international situation. It is the second time that Xi has chosen Russia as the destination of his first overseas trip after being elected Chinese president, following his visit to the country in 2013.
“This fully demonstrates the profound personal friendship between Xi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as well as the high attention he attaches to bilateral ties in the new era,” Zhang Hanhui, the Chinese ambassador to Russia, said in a recent joint interview with Chinese media. During Xi’s stay in Russia, he will meet with Putin and have discussions on China-Russia practical cooperation as well as international and regional issues of common concern.
The past decade has witnessed bilateral meetings between the two heads of state on 40 occasions, with strategic consensuses reached in areas including upgrading bilateral ties, safeguarding regional security and stability and building a community with a shared future for mankind. During Xi’s last visit to Russia in 2019, the two countries decided to elevate the China-Russia relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination in the New Era.
“The two heads of state have maintained close contacts and exchanged views on bilateral cooperation and major international issues, which serve as the compass and anchor in developing China-Russia relations,” ambassador Zhang said, calling the trip a milestone for bilateral ties in the new era.
Vasily Kashin, director at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow, said the head-of-state diplomacy provides guidance for the two countries’ governments at all levels to overcome difficulties and push forward cooperation in all fields.
He noted that bilateral trade has witnessed growth despite the global economic recession in recent years, and Chinese companies have become a dominant player in some sectors of the Russian market. “Take the automobile industry, for instance. Chinese car manufacturers are occupying more market share than ever. You see more Chinese-brand cars driving in the streets of Moscow, such as Haval, Cherry, Dongfeng and others,” Kashin said.
He said bilateral cooperation is expected to become closer after the Chinese government optimized its COVID-19 response measures and lifted some restrictions on cargo transportation. Since then, many Russian companies have explored business opportunities and looked to opening branches in China.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
