Category: Russia

China rebuts NATO declaration as ‘defamatory, provocative, belligerent’

The article below, originally published in Global Times, reports on China’s response to the NATO Summit declaration of 9 July 2024, which accused China of being “a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine” through the supply of so-called dual-use technology, which the US and its allies claim is critical to Russia’s military efforts.

The accusation marks a significant escalation in the US-led New Cold War – a “major departure for NATO” according to the New York Times. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg stated: “I think the message sent from NATO from this summit is very strong and very clear, and we are clearly defining China’s responsibility when it comes to enabling Russia’s war”.

The charges against China are of course utterly ridiculous and unfounded. Of all the major countries, China has been most active in pursuit of a peaceful negotiated settlement to the Ukraine crisis. Indeed last year it put forward a comprehensive document outlining the essential steps towards peace. Meanwhile the role of the US and its allies has been to escalate the conflict by arming Ukraine, imposing sanctions on Russia, and preventing Kiev from entering into negotiations.

China has not been supplying war materiel to Russia, but has simply maintained normal economic relations – as opposed to joining in with the West’s illegal and unilateral sanctions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian pointed out: “Most countries have not participated in sanctions against Russia or cut off trade with it, so the US cannot blame China for its own actions. The US has passed large-scale aid bills for Ukraine while baselessly accusing China and Russia of normal economic and trade exchanges. This is blatant hypocrisy and double standards.”

The reasons for NATO’s accusations are two-fold. First, Ukraine and its backers are losing on the battlefield, and the well-advertised “counteroffensives” have not had the desired effect. As such, the imperialist powers “need to find an excuse, and the ready-made excuse now is that China is supporting Russia”.

Second, there are ongoing efforts to create a global NATO and expand its area of operations to the Pacific so that it can participate more directly in the campaign of China encirclement. According to Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, “they are attempting to achieve NATO’s globalisation by hyping the so-called ‘China threat’ and inciting challenges against China… The hype and intensification of the China issue serve as a catalyst for NATO to accelerate and strengthen its presence, influence, and actions globally, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The US is the leading protagonist of the New Cold War, and it is using NATO to bring Europe onboard with its anti-China strategy. However, European states have their own interests and only stand to lose by blindly following the US.

China voiced strong opposition and lodged stern representations on Thursday with NATO after the Cold War mentality-driven bloc issued a direct warning to China for the first time regarding the so-called support to Russia in the Ukraine crisis, which, some experts said, is essentially another attempt to shift the blame and smear China. 

The NATO Washington Summit Declaration exaggerates tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, which is filled with Cold War mentality and belligerent rhetoric, containing prejudiced, defamatory, and provocative content regarding China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a press conference on Thursday. 

NATO’s so-called security comes at the expense of others’ security, and much of the security anxiety NATO peddles is of its own making. The so-called success and strength NATO boasts of pose a significant threat to the world, the spokesperson said. 

Establishing imaginary enemies to maintain existence and expand power is NATO’s usual tactic. Its persistence in the erroneous positioning of China as a systemic challenge and smearing of China’s domestic and foreign policies are exactly that, the spokesperson added. 

The Chinese Mission to the EU also refuted NATO’s claims on Thursday, emphasizing that China’s position on Ukraine is open and above board, and it is known to all that China is not the architect of the Ukraine crisis. China aims to promote peace talks and seek political settlement, and this position is endorsed and commended by the broader global community.

Continue reading China rebuts NATO declaration as ‘defamatory, provocative, belligerent’

Xi meets Hungarian prime minister, exchanging views on ties, Ukraine crisis

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban paid a surprise visit to Beijing on July 8 as part of a whirlwind of diplomatic activity aimed at promoting a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Hungary assumed the six-monthly rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) on July 1. Orban then visited Ukraine the very next day, his first visit to the country since Russia launched its Special Military Operation. This was followed by a July 5 visit to Russia, as well as to Azerbaijan, where he attended the Informal Summit of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). 

Meeting President Xi Jinping, just two months after they had met in the Hungarian capital Budapest and elevated their bilateral relationship to that of an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, the two leaders exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine crisis.

Orban briefed Xi on his recent visits to Ukraine and Russia. Xi expressed appreciation for Orban’s efforts in promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and elaborated on China’s relevant views and propositions.

Xi called on the international community to create conditions and provide support for the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiation between the two sides, saying that only if all major countries inject positive rather than negative energy, can a ceasefire in this conflict emerge as soon as possible, adding that the basic propositions of China and Hungary and the direction of their efforts are the same and that China is willing to stay in communication with Hungary and all relevant parties.

Orban said that over the past two months, the two sides have earnestly implemented the important outcomes of President Xi’s visit to Hungary, strengthened friendship and mutual trust, and laid a solid foundation for the future development of bilateral relations.

In the face of the current turbulent international situation, China not only loves peace but has also put forward a series of constructive and important initiatives, proving with its own concrete actions that it is an important stabilising force for world peace.

He added that Hungary highly appreciates and values China’s role and influence and is willing to maintain close strategic communication and coordination with China.

Far from welcoming Hungary’s efforts for peace, the country has come under intensified imperialist pressure in response. 

The South China Morning Post headline said that Orban’s visits to Moscow and Beijing had “prompt(ed) EU members to seek ways to punish Hungary.” The paper reported:

“At every stop on Orban’s tour, fury has spread like wildfire through the Belgian capital [where the EU is headquartered]. Ambassadors plan to grill Hungary’s representatives in Brussels on Wednesday, a diplomatic source said.

“On Monday, some member states were ‘seriously considering gathering a majority’ to come up with a way to punish Budapest for abusing the terms of the rotating role, a senior EU official said, with the European Commission’s legal service also preparing to give its opinion.”

Two days later, the Financial Times duly reported that the commission’s legal service had concluded that Orban’s  “solo trip to Moscow last week contravened the EU’s treaties.” The Hungarian Prime Minister had, “violated the bloc’s treaties that forbid any ‘measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the Union’s objectives’, according to three people familiar with the matter. He also violated a legal provision that calls on all members to perform foreign policy activities ‘unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity’, they added.

“Many EU member states have discussed boycotting the traditional informal ministerial meetings to be held in Hungary during the country’s presidency, several diplomats told the FT. A smaller group of capitals has also begun informal discussions on how to use the EU treaty to restrict Orban’s room for manoeuvre during the presidency. Some EU officials have privately floated stripping Hungary of the rotating presidency, officials said.”

Getting in on the act, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “any leader visiting Russia or China must make NATO’s positions clear that the military alliance is ‘not going anywhere, Ukraine’s not going anywhere, the European Union is not going anywhere’.”

This grotesque display of hegemonic arrogance could scarcely better illustrate the undemocratic nature of the EU, its subservience to Washington, its shameless bullying of its smaller member states, especially those in central, eastern and southern Europe, its use of ‘lawfare’ to suppress dissenting standpoints, its opposition to peace and its increasingly dangerous warmongering against Russia, China and other countries.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban here on Monday, and the two sides exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine crisis.

Orban briefed Xi on his recent visits to Ukraine and Russia. Xi expressed appreciation for Orban’s efforts in promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and elaborated on China’s relevant views and propositions.

Xi stressed that an early ceasefire and a political settlement are in the interests of all sides, adding that the priority is to cool down the situation by observing the three principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no fanning by any party over the flames.

Xi called on the international community to create conditions and provide support for the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiation between the two sides, saying that only if all major countries inject positive rather than negative energy, can a ceasefire in this conflict emerge as soon as possible.

“China has been actively promoting peace talks in its own way and encouraging and supporting all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis,” he said, adding that the basic propositions of China and Hungary and the direction of their efforts are the same and that China is willing to stay in communication with Hungary and all relevant parties.

Xi noted that during his successful state visit to Hungary two months ago, the bilateral relations were elevated to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, which gave new historical significance to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year and injected strong impetus into the high-level development of China-Hungary relations.

Noting that the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee will be held next week, Xi said China will further deepen overall reform and promote high-quality development and high-level opening up, which will provide new opportunities and create new momentum for China-Hungary cooperation.

Xi said that the two countries should maintain high-level exchanges, deepen political mutual trust, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, continue to firmly support each other, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and continue to enrich the bilateral all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era to better benefit the people.

He congratulated Hungary on assuming the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) and said there is no geopolitical contradiction or fundamental conflict of interests between China and the EU.

China-EU relations are of strategic significance and global influence and should maintain steady and sound development, Xi said, calling on the two sides to jointly respond to global challenges.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the EU, Xi said, adding that the two sides should stay committed to the correct path of bilateral partnership with cooperation as the defining trend, continue to promote two-way opening up, strengthen international coordination, and contribute to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

It is hoped that Hungary, as the holder of the rotating EU presidency, will play a positive role in promoting the sound and stable development of China-EU relations and facilitating constructive interactions, Xi added.

Orban said that over the past two months, the two sides have earnestly implemented the important outcomes of President Xi’s visit to Hungary, strengthened friendship and mutual trust, and laid a solid foundation for the future development of bilateral relations.

In the face of the current turbulent international situation, China not only loves peace but has also put forward a series of constructive and important initiatives, proving with its own concrete actions that China is an important stabilizing force for world peace, Orban said.

He added that Hungary highly appreciates and values China’s role and influence and is willing to maintain close strategic communication and coordination with China.

Hungary advocates strengthening cooperation with China and opposes forming exclusionary cliques and bloc confrontation, Orban said.

Hungary is willing to take the rotating EU presidency as an opportunity to actively promote the sound development of EU-China relations, he said.

Important bilateral meetings on sidelines of SCO summit promote multipolarity and regional cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral meetings with a number of his counterparts during their visits to Kazakhstan for the summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

On July 3, he met with the Presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Russia.

Meeting Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Xi said that the two leaders held fruitful talks in Xi’an last May and reached a high degree of consensus on China-Kyrgyzstan relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields. Good neighbours wish each other well, Xi said, adding that China is happy to see a stable and developing Kyrgyzstan and will, as always, firmly support Kyrgyzstan in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and in finding a development path suited to its national conditions.

China is willing to import more high-quality green agricultural products from Kyrgyzstan, support Chinese enterprises in investing and doing business in the Central Asian country, strengthen cooperation in areas such as new energy vehicles and cross-border e-commerce, and accelerate the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.

Japarov said he still vividly remembers his visit to China in May last year, which opened up a new era in bilateral relations. At present, the political relations between Kyrgyzstan and China are developing at a high level, various departments of the two countries maintain close communication, sub-national exchanges and cooperation are booming, and bilateral trade and investment are growing steadily. 

He said that in the face of global changes unseen in a century, Kyrgyzstan-China relations have always been rock-solid, and there are no political differences or cooperation obstacles between the two countries.

Meeting with Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, Xi said that China and Azerbaijan have upgraded bilateral relations to strategic partnership, which is a new positioning and a new starting point. China and Azerbaijan are good friends with sincerity and mutual trust, as well as good partners with equality and mutual benefit, and bilateral relations have been developing healthily and steadily, with fruitful cooperation and richer strategic connotations. The two sides should promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, oil and gas, and photovoltaics, strengthen connectivity, advance the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and ensure the healthy and stable operation of China-Europe freight trains. China supports Azerbaijan in hosting the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan firmly abides by the one-China principle and firmly supports China’s great cause of national reunification, which is the trend of history, and no force can stop it. Azerbaijan is willing to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with China, tap the potential, enhance cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, investment, new energy and culture within the framework of Belt and Road cooperation, closely collaborate within the SCO and other frameworks, oppose external interference and safeguard regional security and stability.

Meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Xi said that during his counterpart’s successful state visit to China in January, China and Uzbekistan agreed to elevate their ties to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era and promote the construction of a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future from a higher starting point.

Noting that China firmly supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and security, Xi said China is always a trustworthy friend and partner of Uzbekistan.

He urged the two sides to further advance the Belt and Road cooperation, well implement the medium- and long-term cooperation plan on economy, trade and investment, speed up the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, as well as cooperation in fields of photovoltaic, wind power and new energy vehicles, and continue to strengthen cooperation in poverty reduction and social governance.

China supports the expansion of exchanges between the two countries at the sub-national level, as well as exchanges in tourism, education and other fields, he said, noting China welcomes Uzbekistan’s participation in the seventh China International Import Expo as the guest country of honour.

This meeting was followed up by a July 6-9 visit to Uzbekistan by Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC). 

Meeting with President Mirziyoyev, Zhao noted that the Uzbek leader had met with President Xi in Astana just a few days ago and reached a broad consensus, charting the course for the high-level development of China-Uzbekistan relations.

Mirziyoyev asked Zhao to convey his best wishes to President Xi and extended congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Uzbekistan fully supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative, firmly abides by the one-China principle, and is willing to deepen bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, local governments, education and energy resources.

Continue reading Important bilateral meetings on sidelines of SCO summit promote multipolarity and regional cooperation

Wang Yi: BRICS is opening up a new chapter of the Global South

The Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the BRICS dialogue mechanism was held on June 10 in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod. Russia holds the rotating chair of BRICS for 2024 and the meeting of foreign ministers was preparatory to the annual summit, to be held in Kazan. It was attended by the nine current BRICS member countries, along with 12 other developing countries, namely Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Türkiye, Mauritania, Cuba, Venezuela and Bahrain.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the participants had an in-depth exchange of views on BRICS cooperation and international and regional hotspot issues. All parties spoke highly of the important role of the BRICS mechanism and the achievements of its membership expansion. They agreed that the accession of more countries to BRICS has accelerated the process of building a multipolar world and promoted a more just and equitable international order. They also voiced support for the establishment of partner countries. All parties called for adherence to multilateralism, opposition to unilateralism and protectionism, promoting reform of the international financial architecture, enhancing and improving global governance, and increasing the voice and representation of developing countries. They also emphasised the need for peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and consultations and their support for all efforts conducive to peaceful resolution of crises. The meeting adopted a joint statement, the full text of which can be read here.

In his speech to the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that: “Over the past year, BRICS cooperation has moved forward with highlights, with speed and with strength.We made pioneering efforts and expanded the BRICS mechanism, opening up a new chapter of the Global South seeking strength through unity… Upon expansion, BRICS countries account for nearly half of the global population and one-fifth of global trade, and their total economic output has overtaken that of the G7 in PPP [Purchasing Power Parity] terms.”

Unmistakeably referring to the United States, Wang said that a major country was “still harbouring Cold War mentality, is cobbling up geopolitical blocs and even publicly challenging United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, which erodes the authority of multilateral mechanisms. Economic issues are politicised; the notion of national security is overstretched; and unilateral sanctions and technology barriers are growing. In the face of a contest between forces promoting world multipolarity and forces holding onto unipolar hegemony, between globalisation and anti-globalisation, we must follow the trend of history, stand on the side of fairness and justice, and make the right choice.”

He further stressed the need to, “firm up determination to safeguard peace and security and make new contributions to the political settlement of international hotspot issues. History shows that Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation or external interference cannot solve problems. Instead, they will create bigger problems or even crises. No matter how complex the situation is, parties must not give up dialogue and consultation. No matter how acute the conflict is, political settlement must be pursued.”

Addressing the two major conflicts in the world today, China’s top diplomat said that the war in Gaza is testing human conscience and sense of justice. We must push for an immediate ceasefire that is comprehensive and lasting, ease the humanitarian crisis and prevent further spillover of the conflict. We should support Palestine’s bid for full UN membership, support its efforts to restore legitimate national rights, restart the two-state solution, and bring about lasting peace in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine also continues.  China supports the convening, in due course, of a true international peace conference that is recognised by both Russia and Ukraine, participated in by all sides on an equal footing, and where all peace plans are discussed fairly. BRICS countries should take an independent, objective and just stance, help build international consensus for peace, and oppose attempts to instigate a new Cold War.

He also alluded to the need to break dollar hegemony in international banking and finance, saying: “We should work for early breakthroughs on local currency settlement and cross-border payment cooperation through the financial track. We should promote the use of more diverse currencies at the New Development Bank for financing and increase the share of local currencies in investment and financing activities.”

Wang Yi also held a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the gathering.

Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, he noted that President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to China was a great success, adding that both sides should fully implement the important common understandings reached between the top leaders of the two countries and advance cooperation in various fields.

Lavrov said that Russia is willing to closely cooperate with China on multilateral platforms including the UNSC and enhance diplomatic coordination. The number of like-minded countries continues to increase in international and regional affairs while BRICS expansion reflects this positive trend.

Speaking with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, Wang Yi congratulated South Africa on the smooth holding of the general election and the African National Congress (ANC) on continuing to play a leading role in South Africa’s politics as the largest party. He expressed the belief that the ANC will remain true to its original aspiration and firm faith and continue to lead the South African people to make greater achievements in building a new South Africa enjoying unity, stability and prosperity. Last year, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to South Africa and attended the BRICS Summit, during which he reached important common understandings with President Cyril Ramaphosa, ushering in a new era of building a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future. The historic expansion of the BRICS mechanism in South Africa has further encouraged the Global South countries to seek strength through unity.

China, he added, attaches importance to South Africa’s role as a major developing country, and stands ready to keep close multilateral coordination, be an objective, balanced and constructive voice on the Ukraine crisis and other hotspot issues, and contribute to world peace and stability.

Naledi Pandor said that last year, South Africa was honoured to host President Xi Jinping and thanked China for supporting South Africa in successfully hosting the BRICS Summit. South Africa not only attaches great importance to its relations with China, but also attaches great importance to Africa’s cooperation with China and the role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Cooperation with China is the most important part of Africa’s international cooperation. Naledi Pandor looks forward to China strengthening cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, digital economy, renewable energy and human resources development in light of Africa’s development needs, so as to contribute to the continent’s stable development.

Meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Wang Yi noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Brazil diplomatic relations, a significant year in bridging the past and the future for the development of bilateral relations. As President Xi Jinping stressed, both sides should grasp the strategic importance of the China-Brazil relationship, enhance its mutually beneficial nature, and highlight its comprehensiveness. China values Brazil’s significant influence in the Latin American region and is willing to jointly promote cooperation between China, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

For his part, Mauro Vieira said that Brazil highly values its relationship with China, is ready to closely engage in high-level exchanges with China, strengthen cooperation in various fields including trade and economy, and define a new positioning for bilateral relations to open new prospects for the next 50 years. Brazil and China share similar stances on many issues, and the joint statement on the six common understandings on the political settlement of the Ukraine issue is of great importance.  Noting that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva firmly believes that dialogue and cooperation between China and CELAC are highly significant, Vieira said the China-CELAC Forum is a beneficial platform, and Brazil is willing to work with China to arrange forum activities and promote its further development.

On meeting with Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, Wang Yi expressed condolences once again over the unfortunate passing of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter accident. Wang Yi said that during the current period, the Iranian state and nation has undergone a significant test. As a comprehensive strategic partner, China supports the Iranian government and people in adhering to their established domestic and foreign policies, maintaining independence, sovereignty, stability and development, and wishes Iran a successful presidential election.

Ali Bagheri Kani, on behalf of the Iranian government, thanked China for expressing condolences over the unfortunate passing of the President and Foreign Minister and for sending a special representative to attend the memorial service. 

Under the current international circumstances, he continued, developing Iran-China relations not only benefits the people of both countries but is also conducive to regional and world peace and stability, as well as to building a fairer and more reasonable international order and safeguarding the legitimate rights of developing countries. Unilateralism has reached a dead end, and cannot solve domestic problems, let alone global issues, as is fully proved in the prolonged Gaza conflict. Iran is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in international and regional affairs, jointly uphold multilateralism, and seek solutions to global issues.

Meeting with Taye Atske Selassie, the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, a new member of BRICS, Wang noted that Ethiopia is an influential African nation and the seat of the African Union (AU) headquarters. Over the past two years, Ethiopia has made orderly progress in its domestic peace process and made remarkable achievements in economic and social development. Wang Yi expressed his belief that the Ethiopian government and people will achieve even greater success on the path of peace, development, and prosperity.

Noting Ethiopia’s deep friendship with China, Taye Atske Selassie said the elevation of bilateral relations to an all-weather strategic partnership is warmly welcomed by the Ethiopian government and people. China is Ethiopia’s largest source of foreign investment and export destination, and bilateral cooperation has strongly promoted Ethiopia’s economic and social development. Ethiopia is willing to learn from China’s development experience and to work with other African countries to promote greater development in China-Africa cooperation. 

In his meeting with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Wang Yi said that under the strategic guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, solid progress has been made in building a China-Laos community with a shared future. In the face of the complex international situation and domestic development tasks, China and Laos, as friendly neighbours with a shared future, need to work together to meet challenges, eliminate all kinds of external interference, oppose stoking bloc confrontation, and earnestly safeguard regional peace and stability. China firmly supports Laos in serving as the rotating chair of ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) and working together to build an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Saleumxay Kommasith said that both Laos and China are socialist countries with similar ideas and systems. They both adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and are committed to safeguarding international justice and world peace. In the face of the current complex international and regional situation, the importance of Laos-China cooperation has never been greater.

Wang Yi also met with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and noted that China is full of confidence in the prospect of China-Thailand relations and is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with Thailand, enhance cooperation in various fields, accelerate the construction of the China-Thailand Railway and other major projects, and realise the vision of interconnected development of China, Laos and Thailand at an early date.

Maris Sangiampongsa said that Thailand hopes to learn from China’s successful experience in economic development, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, and better achieve economic and social development. Thailand stands ready to work with China to jointly plan the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations next year so as to highlight the close friendship between the two peoples. Thailand is also ready to join the BRICS mechanism as soon as possible, play a more active role in South-South cooperation, and strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on multilateral platforms.

The following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Pooling Strengths and Working Together For a Brighter Future of BRICS

June 11 (Foreign Ministry)

Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi at the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs / International Relations Meeting

Nizhny Novgorod, June 10, 2024

Dear Colleagues, 

Good morning. It is a great pleasure to join you at Nizhny Novgorod for the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs / International Relations Meeting. I thank Minister Lavrov and the Russian government for the thoughtful arrangements.

Continue reading Wang Yi: BRICS is opening up a new chapter of the Global South

Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation

Following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on May 16, the first day of the Russian President’s state visit to China, the two countries adopted and signed a joint statement.

Divided into ten sections and running to nearly 8,500 words, the statement reflects the high degree of synergy between the two major developing countries and comprehensively deals with the full spectrum of bilateral relations, foreign policy issues and key questions facing humanity.

It begins by noting that, in 2024, China and Russia solemnly celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Over the past 75 years, China-Russia relations have gone through an extraordinary course of development. The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China recognized the Russian Federation as the legal successor of the Soviet Union and reiterated its willingness to develop China-Russia relations on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Under the unremitting efforts of both sides, China-Russia relations follow the national interests of the two countries, uphold the spirit of good-neighbourliness and friendship forever, and maintain healthy and stable development.

They pointed out that the current China-Russia relations transcend the military and political alliance model of the Cold War era and are characterized by non-alignment, non-confrontation and not targeting third parties. 

And they stressed that the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and their peoples, and is not a matter of expediency, nor is it affected by a single incident, and has strong endogenous power and independent value.

Russia reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle, recognized that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, opposed any form of “Taiwan independence”, and firmly supported China’s measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve national reunification. China supports Russia’s efforts to maintain its own security and stability, development and prosperity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and opposes external forces’ interference in Russia’s internal affairs.

The two sides pointed out that the world’s major changes are accelerating, and the status and strength of emerging powers in the “Global South” are constantly increasing and the acceleration of world multipolarisation is becoming more and more obvious. Countries that adhere to hegemonism and power politics go against this trend and attempt to replace and subvert the universally recognized international order based on international law with a “rules-based order”.

The two sides believe that all countries have the right to independently choose their development model and political, economic, and social systems according to their own national conditions and the will of the people and oppose interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, oppose unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” without a basis in international law or authorization by the UN Security Council, and oppose drawing lines based on ideology. They point out that neo-colonialism and hegemonism completely run counter to the current trend of the times, and call for equal dialogue, the development of partnerships, and the promotion of exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.

China and Russia will continue to firmly defend the results of the victory of the Second World War and the post-war world order enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and oppose the negation, distortion, and falsification of the history of World War II.  They plan to solemnly celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Soviet Union’s Patriotic War in 2025 and jointly promote a correct view of the history of World War II.

The two sides will further deepen military mutual trust and cooperation, expand the scale of joint exercises and training activities, regularly organize joint maritime and air patrols, strengthen coordination and cooperation under bilateral and multilateral frameworks, and continuously improve the ability and level of the two sides to jointly respond to risks and challenges.

They believe that, in accordance with the basic principle of sovereign equality of states in international law, international obligations regarding the immunity of states and their property (including sovereign reserves) must be strictly observed. The two sides condemn attempts to confiscate foreign assets and property, and stress that the victim state has the right to take countermeasures in accordance with international law.

This refers particularly to the multiple measures taken, and under consideration, by the imperialist powers against Russia. However, they are also threatened against China and have been deployed against a range of other countries, including Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iran, the DPRK and Equatorial Guinea, among others.

Having surveyed bilateral economic relations in detail, the statement also refers to some of their international ramifications.

Continue reading Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation

Putin in China: A new world is taking shape before our eyes and becoming multipolar

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to China from May 16-17 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. It was Putin’s first foreign trip since he began his fifth term as Russian President and the 43rd meeting between the two leaders.

In their talks, the two sides made a comprehensive review of the successful experience in developing the China-Russia relationship and had an in-depth exchange of views on their relationship as well as major international and regional issues of mutual interest, charting the course forward for their cooperation across the board.

Xi stressed that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. In the past three quarters of a century, the China-Russia relationship has grown stronger amidst wind and rain and stood the test of a changing international landscape. It has become a fine example for major countries and neighbouring countries to treat each other with respect and candour and pursue amity and mutual benefit.

The most important conclusion drawn from the 75-year history of China-Russia relations is that two neighbouring major countries must always promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, respect each other on an equal footing, trust each other, accommodate each other’s concerns, and truly provide mutual assistance for the development and revitalisation of both sides, Xi noted, adding that this is not only the correct way for China and Russia to get along, but also the direction that major-country relations should strive for in the 21st century.

Putin expressed his pleasure to visit China again after he was sworn in as Russian president for a new term. Noting that President Xi also paid a state visit to Russia in March last year, shortly after his re-election as Chinese president, Putin said that it is a friendly tradition between the two countries, which demonstrates that both sides attach high importance to enhancing the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

The development of Russia-China ties is not out of expediency or targeted at any third party, Putin said, adding that it benefits international strategic stability.

After the talks, Xi and Putin signed and issued the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era in the Context of the 75th Anniversary of China-Russia Diplomatic Relations and witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents.

They also made statements to the press.

Xi Jinping said China and Russia have served as a role model by showing others the ways of building state-to-state ties of a new kind and working together as two major neighbouring powers.

“Our commitment to the following five principles has made all of this possible.

“The first principle involves demonstrating mutual respect and firm commitment to supporting each other on matters dealing with the core interests of both sides. Our two countries are committed to acting in the spirit of non-alignment with any blocs, rejecting confrontation and refraining from targeting any third countries while demonstrating our steadfast commitment to confidence building measures on political matters, respecting the development trajectories we choose for ourselves and firmly supporting each other as we strive for shared prosperity and revival. 

“The second principle consists of promoting a win-win approach to shaping a new architecture of mutually beneficial cooperation. We must support networks promoting fundamental research, unleash our cooperation potential in high-technology sectors, step up our cooperation on border crossings, transport and logistics, and ensure the stable operation of global manufacturing and supply chains.

“The third principle deals with maintaining our centuries-old friendly ties and passing on this friendship from one generation to another. People from average Chinese families read Pushkin’s and Tolstoy’s books, while traditional Chinese culture, including the Beijing Opera and Taichi, have been very popular among Russians.

“The fourth point is that we must act in the spirit of strategic cooperation to set various visions of global governance on the right track. China and Russia have been firmly advocating a UN-centred system of international relations and an international order based on international law.

 “We express our firm commitment to working together in the context of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship this year and when China assumes the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organisation] presidency in the second half of the year by forging a comprehensive, closely-knit, result-driven and inclusive high-level partnership for uniting the Global South and making it stronger.

“The fifth principle deals with promoting a political settlement for hotspots in the interest of truth and justice. Today’s world is still plagued by Cold War mentality. Aspirations to securing a unilateral hegemony, bloc-based confrontation and power politics pose a direct threat to peace and security for all countries around the world. President Putin and I discussed the need to achieve an immediate settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to resolve the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution and in keeping with the UN resolution.”

For his part, Vladimir Putin said: “I would like to emphasise that this state visit takes place in the year of the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Our country was the first to recognise the People’s Republic of China on October 2, 1949, the day after its declaration. We also provided substantial assistance to it at the initial stage of the development of its political system, state institutions and the economy.

Turning to current economic issues, he added: “The enhancement of trade and investment ties [has been] greatly aided by the coordinated measures implemented to shift payments between our countries into national currencies. Currently, the ruble and yuan comprise over 90 percent of Russian-Chinese commercial transactions, with this proportion steadily increasing. This trend signifies that our mutual trade and investment are securely protected from the influence of third countries and adverse developments on global currency markets.

He also remarked that: “Our talks have reaffirmed that Russia and China have similar or identical views on many international and regional issues. Both countries have an independent and sovereign foreign policy. We are working together to create a fairer and more democratic multipolar world order based on the central role of the UN and its Security Council, international law, cultural and civilisational diversity, as well as a calibrated balance of interests of all members of the international community. Acting from these positions, Russia and China are fruitfully working together in BRICS, where Russia is holding the chairmanship this year, and in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the chairmanship of which China will take over in July. Of course, our countries are resolved to continue working to align the integration processes underway within the framework of the EAEU [Eurasian Economic Union] with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with a view to ultimately creating a Greater Eurasian Partnership.”

The two leaders also held a personal meeting, in which President Xi noted that, having lasted three quarters of a century, China-Russia relations have grown from strength to strength despite the ups and downs. and have stood the test of changing international landscape. Over the years, he and President Putin have met more than 40 times and stayed in close communication, providing strategic guidance that has ensured the sound, steady and smooth development of the relationship. The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it. 

Steady development of China-Russia relations is not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, but also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world at large. On the new journey, China is ready to work with Russia to stay each other’s good neighbour, good friend and good partner that trust each other, continue to consolidate the lasting friendship between the two peoples, and jointly pursue respective national development and revitalisation and uphold fairness and justice in the world.

Premier Li Qiang also met with the Russian leader.  

Li said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Russia have been developing bilateral relations on the basis of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party. He added that their practical cooperation in various fields has been steadily promoted, people-to-people and sub-national exchanges have flourished, and public support for friendly relations between the two countries has been increasingly consolidated, setting an example of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between major countries.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties, Li said China is willing to work with Russia to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, consolidate and carry forward their long-standing friendship, deepen cooperation in various fields, promote the common development of China and Russia, better benefit the two peoples, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

He added that China is ready to work with Russia to further synergy and deepen cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, promote regional integration, enhance trade liberalisation and facilitation, and deepen cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, energy and connectivity.

The two sides should take the China-Russia Years of Culture as an opportunity to further promote cooperation in the fields of cultural tourism, sports, youth, medical and health care, and continuously enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Noting that Russia-China relations have reached the highest level, Putin said Russia is willing to work with China to take the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, energy, agriculture and infrastructure construction, make the Russia-China Years of Culture a success, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and push the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era to a new level. 

That evening the two presidents attended the opening ceremony of the China-Russia Years of Culture and a special concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties.

Xi said that: “Last year, President Putin and I agreed to make 2024 and 2025 the China-Russia Years of Culture. The two sides officially launched this cultural event today.” He added that the two countries will hold a series of cultural exchange programs to further release the potential of bilateral cultural cooperation and jointly open up a new future of China-Russia cultural exchanges.

The second day of President Putin’s visit was spent in Harbin, the capital of China’s northeast Heilongjiang Province and a city with deep historical connections to Russia since the nineteenth century.

Accompanied by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Putin attended the opening ceremony of the 8th China-Russia Expo in the city. 

In his congratulatory letter, which was read by Han Zheng, Xi said that with the joint efforts of the two countries, China-Russia relations have made solid progress step by step and delivered tangible cooperation outcomes to the benefit of the two peoples.

Stressing that after years of cultivation and development, the China-Russia Expo has become an important platform for promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, he added that it is hoped that all sectors of the two countries will make full use of the opportunity presented by the current China-Russia Expo to deepen exchanges and share opportunities, jointly contribute to the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia, and inject new impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

Noting that Russia cherishes the tradition of friendly cooperation with China, Putin expressed the hope that the two sides will tap the potential and actively leverage the role of the expo to push for new progress in bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, investment, energy, industry, high and new technology, cross-border transportation, tourism, agriculture and local affairs, to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

After the opening ceremony, Han met with Putin.

Han said China-Russia cooperation has enjoyed a sound momentum in recent years.

The Belt and Road Initiative has been further aligned with the Eurasian Economic Union, and a number of major projects have been smoothly advanced, adding that the China-Russia Expo was a beautiful “business card” of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. It is believed that with the joint efforts of the two sides, bilateral cooperation will surely achieve more results, benefit the two peoples and contribute to world development and progress.

For his part, Putin called on the two sides to closely coordinate and cooperate, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, further promote local cooperation between Russia’s far east and China’s northeast region, and push for better development of bilateral relations.

Putin also visited the Harbin Institute of Technology, where he delivered a speech to Chinese and Russian students and faculty members, noting how the institute had originally been established by Russian professionals as a Russian-Chinese technical college to train personnel for the Chinese Eastern Railway.

Whilst in Harbin, President Putin also laid flowers at the monument to the Soviet Red Army soldiers who gave their lives in the liberation of northeast China from Japanese militarism and visited the Russian Orthodox Church of the Intercession. 

In a press conference concluding his visit, Putin answered a large number of questions from the international media and stated:

“Of course, it is necessary to strengthen the emerging multipolar world. There is absolutely no doubt that a new world is taking shape before our eyes and becoming multipolar. I believe all the people are aware of this. It is important that those who are trying to maintain their monopoly on making decisions on all issues globally should realise this (I believe that they do realise it perfectly well). Understanding this, they should do everything possible to facilitate this natural process. I repeat, this process should be peaceful and conflict-free, with the opinions of all parties to the international process fully considered. All of us should seek compromises while making the difficult decisions that lie ahead.”

Meanwhile, coinciding with the state visit, a memorial plaque commemorating the former head of the Soviet expert group to China Ivan Vasilievich Arkhipov was unveiled in the Russian city of Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, on May 15.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from China and Russia as well as Arkhipov’s descendants.

At the ceremony, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Moscow Liu Qinghua noted that Arkhipov significantly contributed to helping New China revitalise its national economy and achieve the goals of the first Five-Year Plan, adding that he made unremitting efforts to consolidate and continue the friendship between the two peoples.

Arkhipov, who died in 1998, led the work of the former Soviet expert group to China in the 1950s. He received multiple awards from both countries for his contribution to their bilateral ties. He always remained highly respected in China, even when the Soviet Union and China became estranged on the state level and official relations were hostile.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the websites of the Russian Presidency and the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Continue reading Putin in China: A new world is taking shape before our eyes and becoming multipolar

Putin: Russia-China relations have reached the highest level ever

Following his decisive victory in the presidential election, held March 15-17, Vladimir Putin was sworn in on May 7 to serve his fifth term as President of the Russian Federation. On May 16-17, he paid a state visit to the People’s Republic of China, his first foreign visit since his inauguration.

On the day prior to his visit, the Xinhua News Agency released an extensive written interview with the Russian leader. In highlighting the various reasons for his choice of destination, Putin wrote:

“I have emphasised on many occasions that our peoples are bound by a long and strong tradition of friendship and cooperation. That is one of the most important pillars of bilateral relations. During World War II, Soviet and Chinese soldiers stood up together against Japanese militarism. We remember and value the contribution of the Chinese people to the common victory. It was China that held back major forces of Japanese militarists, making it possible for the Soviet Union to focus on defeating Nazism in Europe. And, of course, we are grateful to our Chinese friends for their careful attitude to war memorials, to the memory of Soviet citizens who had fought for the liberation of China and supported the revolutionary struggle of the Chinese people, their righteous fight against the invaders. Today, Russia-China relations have reached the highest level ever, and despite the difficult global situation continue to get stronger.

“This year is special for our countries. October 1 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. The country is approaching this significant historical date with outstanding achievements, which we welcome as old, reliable and time-tested friends. The USSR was the first to recognise the PRC on the second day of its existence. So in early October, we will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.”

Clearly alluding to the bitter dispute that later divided the Soviet Union and China, Putin noted:

“Over the three quarters of a century, our countries have travelled a long and at times difficult way. We have learnt well the lessons of the history of our relationship at different stages of their development… It is important that Russia-China ties as they are today, are free from the influence of either ideology or political trends. Their multidimensional development is an informed strategic choice based on the wide convergence of core national interests, profound mutual trust, strong public support and sincere friendship between the peoples of the two countries… In a broader sense, we are working to contribute to the development and prosperity of Russia and China by enhancing equal, mutually beneficial economic and humanitarian cooperation, and strengthen foreign policy coordination in the interests of building a just multipolar world order.”

Turning to trade and economic cooperation, Xinhua, in its question, noted that last year, the target set by the two heads of state of a US$200 billion trade turnover had been achieved ahead of schedule, to which Putin responded:

“Trade and economic relations between our countries are developing at a fast pace, showing strong immunity to external challenges and crises… More than 90% of settlements between our companies are made in national currencies. So it would be more accurate to say that bilateral trade currently totals about 20 trillion rubles, or nearly 1.6 trillion yuan.”

On the question of cultural ties, having spoken about Russia’s long-standing interest in Chinese culture, Putin added:

“I know that people in China are also keen to get acquainted with Russian literature, art and traditions. Our eminent theatre groups and musicians regularly perform in China, museums organise their exhibitions, and Russian films are run in cinemas. We are most willing to introduce our Chinese friends to the historical, artistic and cultural heritage of multi-ethnic Russia in all its diversity.

“As for my personal attitude to Chinese culture, I would like to emphasise that I am always eager to discover China’s unique and authentic traditions, especially during my visits to the PRC. I know quite a bit about your martial arts, including Wushu, which is very popular in our country. [Putin himself is a renowned practitioner of judo.] I also have respect for Chinese philosophy. My family members are also interested in China, and some of them are learning Chinese.”

Russia holds this year’s rotating chair of the BRICS cooperation mechanism and this is also the first year of “greater BRICS cooperation”. In this regard, President Putin said: “Full-scale work is underway on all three main pillars of cooperation – politics and security, the economy and finance, culture and people-to-people contacts. One of the main goals of the Russian Chairmanship is undoubtedly the seamless integration of the BRICS new members…  I would like to particularly stress that cooperation within BRICS relies on the principles of mutual respect, equality, openness and consensus. That is why countries of the Global South and East, which see BRICS as a platform for their voices to be certainly heard and taken into account, find our association so attractive.”

Reflecting on the successful development and growing attraction of both BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and how this relates to the bilateral relationship, Putin ridiculed western rhetoric regarding the so-called ‘rules based international order’, noting: “Our countries have similar or coinciding positions on key issues on the international agenda. We advocate for the primacy of international law, equal, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security at both the global and regional level with the UN’s central coordinating role. We also reject Western attempts to impose an order based on lies and hypocrisy, on some mythical rules of no one knows whose making.”

He commented at length on the Ukraine crisis, expressing support for China’s peace initiative, stating:

“We commend China’s approaches to resolving the crisis in Ukraine. Beijing is well aware of its root causes and global geopolitical significance, which is reflected in its 12-point plan entitled ‘China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis’ published in February 2023. The ideas and proposals contained in the document show the genuine desire of our Chinese friends to help stabilise the situation…

“Beijing proposes practicable and constructive steps to achieve peace by refraining from pursuing vested interests and constant escalation of tensions, minimising the negative impact of the conflict on the global economy and the stability of global value chains. The steps build on the idea that we need to forego the ‘Cold War mentality’ and ensure indivisible security and respect for international law and the UN Charter in their entirety and interrelation. They could therefore lay the groundwork for a political and diplomatic process that would take into account Russia’s security concerns and contribute to achieving a long-term and sustainable peace.

“Unfortunately, neither Ukraine nor its Western patrons support these initiatives. They are not ready to engage in an equal, honest and open dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests. They are reluctant to discuss the underlying causes, the very origins of the global crisis, which has manifested itself, inter alia, in the dramatic situation around Ukraine. Why? Because today’s global shocks have been provoked precisely by their policies in the previous years and decades.

“Instead, Western elites are stubbornly working to ‘punish’ Russia, isolate and weaken it, supplying the Kiev authorities with money and arms. They have imposed almost 16,000 unilateral illegitimate sanctions against our country. They are threatening to dismember our country. They are illegally trying to appropriate our foreign assets. They are turning a blind eye to the resurgence of Nazism and to Ukraine-sponsored terrorist attacks in our territory.

“We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours. They must also involve a substantive discussion on global stability and security guarantees for Russia’s opponents and, naturally, for Russia itself. Needless to say, these must be reliable guarantees. That is where the main problem is, since we are dealing with states whose ruling circles seek to substitute the world order based on international law with an ‘order based on certain rules,’ which they keep talking about but which no one has ever seen, no one has agreed to, and which, apparently, tend to change depending on the current political situation and interests of those who invent these rules.

“Russia stands ready for negotiations; moreover, we had engaged in such negotiations. On April 15, 2022, in Istanbul, together with the Ukrainian delegation, we drafted a peace agreement, taking into account the demands of the Ukrainian side, including those on future security guarantees for Ukraine. Moreover, the head of the Ukrainian delegation initialled the main provisions of the draft document. Our Western partners tried to convince us that in order to finalise and sign the agreement, it was necessary to provide conditions. The main point was that Russian troops be withdrawn away from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. And so we did. But instead of signing the peace agreement, the Ukrainian side suddenly announced the cessation of negotiations. Later on, Ukrainian officials stated that they had done so, inter alia, because their Western allies had recommended that they continue hostilities and apply joint efforts to achieve Russia’s strategic defeat. We have never refused to negotiate.”

We reproduce below the full text of President Putin’s interview. It was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

Continue reading Putin: Russia-China relations have reached the highest level ever

Lavrov: China and Russia working to establish a fair multipolar world order

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently visited Beijing – a visit that is widely considered preparatory to a state visit by President Putin, which many reports suggest may be slated for May.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Lavrov on April 9. The Chinese leader asked Lavrov to convey sincere greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Xi said China and Russia have embarked on a new path of harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between major countries and neighbours, which has benefited the two countries and their peoples and contributed wisdom and strength to international fairness and justice.

Xi stressed that China supports the Russian people in following a development path that suits their national conditions, and supports Russia in combating terrorism and maintaining social security and stability.

China always attaches great importance to the development of China-Russia relations and stands ready to strengthen bilateral communication with Russia and enhance multilateral strategic coordination in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

He added that the two countries will show more responsibility, unite countries in the Global South in the spirit of equality, openness, transparency, and inclusiveness, promote the reform of the global governance system, and vigorously lead the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Lavrov conveyed President Putin’s cordial greetings and good wishes to President Xi. He said that under the strong leadership of President Xi, China has made achievements that have attracted global attention and provided important opportunities for other countries to achieve common development, which Russia deeply admires.

He added that Russia is willing to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen bilateral and multilateral coordination, and work with other countries of the Global South to strengthen solidarity and cooperation in order to contribute to creating a more fair and just international order.

Lavrov also held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi the same day, with both sides expressing hope for strengthening practical cooperation in various fields.

They also had in-depth exchanges of view on the Ukraine issue, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the situation in the Asia-Pacific region and other international and regional issues of common concern.

At a joint press briefing after the talks, Wang said that in order to further consolidate and develop bilateral relations, China and Russia should follow five principles:

  • The two countries should always follow the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy.
  • The two countries should always adhere to the principle of no-alliance, no-confrontation and no-targeting at any third party.
  • The two countries should always stay on the right course on major matters of principle. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major emerging countries, China and Russia actively respond to the common aspirations and legitimate concerns of the people of all countries, advocate a new path of state-to-state relations featuring dialogue and partnership rather than confrontation and alliance, and actively promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
  • The two countries should always pursue win-win results through cooperation. China and Russia will continue to advocate inclusive economic globalisation that benefits all, jointly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and foster new drivers of global development and progress.
  • The two countries should always advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world. China and Russia support the central role of the United Nations in the global governance system and will further strengthen international coordination.

In his remarks, Minister Lavrov said: “The issues we are addressing in the economy, trade, investment, and innovative technology are directly related to the effort to establish a fair multipolar world order free from diktat, hegemony, and neo-colonial and colonial practices, which are being used to the utmost extent by the United States and the rest of the collective West that has bowed without question to Washington’s will.  

“China and Russia will continue  to defend the need to rectify this situation in international economic relations and to be committed to democratising these relations and returning to the principles that were proclaimed a while ago and consist in the requirement to respect the market processes, fair competition, inviolability of property, presumption of innocence, and much more, which the West is flouting in the grossest of manners by its practical steps expressed in imposing illegal sanctions on a number of states, including Russia.  But they are beginning to use the same policy with regard to the People’s Republic of China, including in a bid to restrict its economic and technological development capabilities, or, speaking plainly, to get rid of a rival.”

Noting the significance of the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, he continued:

“Minister Wang Yi mentioned that we discussed the forthcoming 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. As a reminder, the Soviet Union was the first to recognise the People’s Republic of China the very next day it was established and helped it rebuild the nation. We agreed to prepare a series of commemorative events to mark this anniversary. We also explored potential initiatives for marking the upcoming 80th anniversary of victory over German Nazism and Japanese militarism next year. It’s important to recognise the pivotal role played by the peoples of the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China in defeating Germany and militaristic Japan.”

Regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Lavrov said that: “In June, the People’s Republic of China will replace Kazakhstan as the SCO chair. There are promising opportunities to align the SCO agendas for advancing this vast Eurasian region with the BRICS programmes, which advocate similar ideals and principles on a global scale. This alignment serves to advance the interests of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, especially amid the declining Western globalisation model which has lost almost all of its credibility.

The Russian Foreign Minister also addressed the conflict in Ukraine: “We are grateful to our Chinese friends for their unbiased, balanced position and their readiness to play a positive role in the political and diplomatic settlement. The well-known ‘12 points’ that China put forward in 2023 clearly articulate the need, first, to take into account the root causes of this conflict, and second, in efforts to resolve it, to seek to eliminate these causes, first and foremost, in the context of ensuring equal and indivisible security, including in Europe and in the entire world. Chinese friends make it clear that it is necessary to take into account the legitimate concerns of all parties involved, first and foremost their security. In this context, my Chinese colleagues and I have confirmed the conclusion about the futility of any international efforts that do not take into account Russia’s position but completely ignore it and promote an absolutely empty, ultimatum-like ‘Zelensky’s peace formula,’ and are therefore completely detached from reality.

“With regard to the situation around Taiwan, which is an integral part of China, we are unanimous with Beijing in rejecting any interference from outside, as it is an internal affair of the People’s Republic of China. We talked about the situation on the Korean peninsula. We are interested in peace and stability in this region, just like our Chinese friends.”

In response to a question regarding the specific economic problems created by the unlawful policy of unilateral sanctions, Lavrov noted:

“We will address them within the framework of BRICS and the SCO. At a time when the United States and its satellites are capable of disrupting steady financing, logistics, transport and investment chains at any moment, it is time to think about how these issues, such as transition to national currencies, creating alternative payment platforms, including the decisions in this regard adopted within BRICS, and the activities of regional organisations such as the above-mentioned SCO and CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), can be considered and addressed by different entities.”

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Xi meets Russian foreign minister

BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing.

Continue reading Lavrov: China and Russia working to establish a fair multipolar world order

Zhang Jun: We must actively advocate the equitable and orderly multi-polarisation of the world

The following is the full text of the remarks by Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun at the UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine held on February 23, 2024. 

Noting that the Ukraine crisis is a “tragedy that could have been avoided”, Zhang sets out four points.

First, he says that efforts should remain focused on a political settlement. “The most pressing priority of the hour is to stop hostilities, launch peace talks, and restore peace. Peace is in the interest of all parties. The sooner peace talks begin, the less the damage that is done. Any action that is conducive to peace and greater trust, however small it may seem, is worth our genuine effort as long as there is a glimmer of hope. We call upon the parties concerned to show a sense of responsibility and make constructive diplomatic efforts to promote deescalation and detente. It is favourable conditions for the resumption of negotiations that they should be creating, not man-made obstacles to make peace harder to achieve, much less to supply weapons, stoke the fire and pour oil on it, and to profit from the prolonged crisis.”

Second is to stay the course towards common security. “We must respect the legitimate security concerns of all countries and never lose sight of the fact that security is indivisible, that one country’s security cannot be achieved at the expense of other countries’ security, and that regional security cannot be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding a military bloc. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries should be taken seriously and addressed properly. It must be pointed out that the situation Europe is facing today is closely related to the repeated eastward expansion of NATO since the end of the Cold War. We encourage NATO to do some soul-searching, come out of the cage of Cold War mentality, and refrain from acting as an agent of trouble instigating bloc confrontation. We urge the head of NATO to look at the world through an objective lens, stop saber-rattling, and do things that are genuinely conducive to world peace.”

Third, “the spillover effects of the crisis must be proactively managed. The world is in enough turmoil. It cannot afford to be hit by more crises that are bigger than what we already have. Attempting to solve problems by creating more problems does not work. Certain countries, using the Ukraine crisis as a pretext, have indiscriminately imposed unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction and exerted unjustified pressure on the businesses of other countries, which has adversely impacted the global industrial and supply chains and disrupted the order of global trade… China firmly opposes the unlawful sanctions imposed on Chinese companies by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union using the Ukraine issue as an excuse.”

Fourth, “we must actively advocate the equitable and orderly multi-polarisation of the world. The Cold War ended over 30 years ago… Humanity is a community with a shared future. All countries, large and small, are equal members of the global community when it comes to international relations and are entitled to a place in the international arena… For the world to slide back to the colonial age is not an option.”

In conclusion, Zhang notes that: “China played no part in the creation of the Ukraine crisis, nor is China a party to the crisis itself. We have not been watching the fire from across the river, much less cashing in on the crisis. On the question of Ukraine, China has always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported.”

Shortly after these remarks were delivered China announced that its Special Envoy Li Hui would begin another round of shuttle peace diplomacy, with scheduled stops including Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, France, and the headquarters of the European Union (EU) in Brussels.

The following article originally appeared on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Madam President, 

I thank Secretary-General Guterres for his earlier briefing. 

The ongoing Ukraine crisis is threatening to become a protracted, compounded, and wider one. This tragedy that could have been avoided has become what it is today. This is most distressing and worthy of deep reflection. The international community should pull together in search of a just and sensible solution to settle the crisis politically and let peace prevail as soon as possible.

First, efforts should remain focused on a political settlement. The Ukraine crisis has caused incalculable damage. The most pressing priority of the hour is to stop hostilities, launch peace talks, and restore peace. Peace is in the interest of all parties. The sooner peace talks begin, the less the damage that is done. Any action that is conducive to peace and greater trust, however small it may seem, is worth our genuine effort as long as there is a glimmer of hope. We call upon the parties concerned to show a sense of responsibility and make constructive diplomatic efforts to promote deescalation and detente. It is favorable conditions for the resumption of negotiations that they should be creating, not man-made obstacles to make peace harder to achieve, much less to supply weapons, stoke the fire and pour oil on it, and to profit from the prolonged crisis. We look forward to greater efforts by the UN to promote peace talks and alleviate the humanitarian situation.

Second, we must stay the course towards common security. In the face of complexities and challenges, we must be firmly committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security. We must respect the legitimate security concerns of all countries and never lose sight of the fact that security is indivisible, that one country’s security cannot be achieved at the expense of other countries’ security, and that regional security cannot be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding a military bloc. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries should be taken seriously and addressed properly. It must be pointed out that the situation Europe is facing today is closely related to the repeated eastward expansion of NATO since the end of the Cold War. We encourage NATO to do some soul-searching, come out of the cage of Cold War mentality, and refrain from acting as an agent of trouble instigating bloc confrontation. We urge the head of NATO to look at the world through an objective lens, stop saber-rattling, and do things that are genuinely conducive to world peace.

Third, the spillover effects of the crisis must be proactively managed. The world is in enough turmoil. It cannot afford to be hit by more crises that are bigger than what we already have. Attempting to solve problems by creating more problems does not work. Certain countries, using the Ukraine crisis as a pretext, have indiscriminately imposed unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction and exerted unjustified pressure on the businesses of other countries, which has adversely impacted the global industrial and supply chains and disrupted the order of global trade. The world economy is interdependent, and it is wrong to instrumentalize or weaponize the world economy. China firmly opposes the unlawful sanctions imposed on Chinese companies by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union using the Ukraine issue as an excuse. China will continue to take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens.

Fourth, we must actively advocate the equitable and orderly multi-polarization of the world. The Cold War ended over 30 years ago. Since then, the international landscape has undergone profound adjustments and the multi-polarization of the world has picked up pace. This is the trend of the times and the tide of history. Humanity is a community with a shared future. All countries, large and small, are equal members of the global community when it comes to international relations and are entitled to a place in the international arena. All countries should jointly abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, adhere to the universally accepted basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism together without selective application or double standards. For the world to slide back to the colonial age is not an option. International affairs should not be monopolized by a minority of countries. Trying to obstruct other countries’ progress through hegemony and bullying is not right, and it would not work. On the other hand, major countries have a special responsibility for world peace and security, and must conduct their relations responsibly and manage their differences properly in pursuit of win-win cooperation.

Madam President,

China played no part in the creation of the Ukraine crisis, nor is China a party to the crisis itself. We have not been watching the fire from across the river, much less cashing in on the crisis. On the question of Ukraine, China has always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported. China will continue to play a constructive role and make unremitting efforts towards a political settlement of the Ukraine issue.

Thank you, Madam President.

Hands off China! Full solidarity with Palestine!

The following article by Sara Flounders, based on a talk given at our event Peace delegates report back from China: Building solidarity and opposing the New Cold War, calls for a joined-up anti-imperialism, positing that “the best way to oppose the new Cold War with China is to be the most militant opponent of every US war.”

Sara observes that the events of 7 October 2023 “opened a new chapter in the worldwide class war”. US imperialism is backing Israel to the hilt, desperate to protect its interests in the region – part of defending and expanding US global hegemony. “That means Palestine fights for all of us”, and those that oppose the US-led program to encircle and contain China should also stand with the people of Palestine.

Further, we should be standing firmly against the US’s unilateral sanctions, which are being used to undermine and destabilise a total of 40 countries currently.

The US and its allies are also engaged in a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. The over-arching strategy is to “impose regime change on Russia, which would be a key step to their next move — against China.”

The basic dynamic in geopolitics today is the contest between a moribund imperialism and a rising multipolarity. As Sara writes, “China’s very existence as a prosperous, developing country confirms that humanity has another choice. The developing world, the Global South, looks to China — not to U.S. imperialism. That is a threat to imperialism.”

Sara concludes by calling on our movement to unite behind the slogans: “Hands off China! Full solidarity with Palestine!”

This article appeared first in Workers World.

With U.S. wars coming thick and fast, the best way to oppose the new Cold War with China is to be the most militant opponent of every U.S. war.

If Israel succeeds in crushing Palestinian resistance, based on U.S. financial, political and military support, then U.S. imperialism is stronger on a world scale. That means Palestine fights for all of us. Palestine’s resistance has ignited a global resistance.

Before October 7, Israel, after 75 years of U.S. backing, seemed all powerful. Now the Israeli military has been frustrated at every turn by the indomitable spirit of Palestinian resistance. The Israelis face ambushes without end.

There is a sea change in the U.S. working class. For the first time, a majority of the population supports Palestine. There is sharp opposition to U.S. policy, shown by mass marches, shutdowns, walkouts. Let’s build on this global outrage over the U.S. role as the “enabler” of this genocide!

Global support for Palestine

On a world scale, people side with Palestine, whose resistance is our resistance. The liberation of Palestine is an important step in the liberation of humanity.

October 7 opened a new chapter in the worldwide class war. The Israeli regime’s genocidal crimes against the people of Gaza demand our international solidarity.

Faced with an unwinnable quagmire, the U.S. and Israel have expanded this war. Just this week, they bombed Muslims in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Three days ago, they blew up two main natural gas pipelines in Iran, leaving millions of Iranians without heat and cooking fuel in winter. This is the way the U.S. and Israel fight wars — they target essential civilian infrastructure.

The U.S. and NATO countries cut off all food, medical care and schools to all Palestinians — even in Jordan and Lebanon, and on the West Bank, by cutting off funding to UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East].

I raise all of this, because the U.S. media and politicians claim they want to protect Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. The sheer hypocrisy of this claim is blatant. Yet it is the basis of the sanctions! This false charge is a big weapon in the war on China and in lining up and demanding compliance of all U.S. allies against China.

Thousands of Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche cars are impounded on ships at U.S. ports, just because they include a small Chinese electronic part. These German auto corporations are told they must pay U.S. fines, remove the offending part and agree to U.S. charges against China regarding Xinjiang.

Bales of clothing made in Vietnam and Malaysia go through isotopic testing at U.S. Customs. If even a thread of cotton comes from Xinjiang, the clothing is destroyed. This is because the U.S. authorities allege there is slave labor in Xinjiang — even though Xinjiang’s cotton industry is fully mechanized.

Anti-war activists need to militantly oppose the wanton use of economic sanctions, which are used against not only China but a total of 40 countries, inhabited by one-third of the world’s population. Applying sanctions is a powerful weapon of economic destabilization.

However, this is a double-edged sword. Enforcement of these sanctions now widens U.S. isolation. They intensify trade wars with Washington’s imperialist “partners” — or are they better called imperialist rivals?

Much to the frustration of U.S. imperialism, sanctioned countries are finding new roads to cooperation and trade.

Continue reading Hands off China! Full solidarity with Palestine!

Xi says China-Russia relations embrace new development opportunities

The Presidents of China and Russia exchanged friendly greetings and reviewed their bilateral relations, along with a range of regional and international issues, in a February 8 telephone call in advance of the Chinese New Year.

President Xi Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that China and Russia withstood many tests together in the past, and their relations embrace new development opportunities in the future. He added that it has become a fine tradition for him and Putin to exchange greetings at the turn of the year, review the achievements of the development of bilateral relations, and jointly look forward to the future.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xi said that China is ready to continue to uphold the spirit of mutual assistance and everlasting friendship with Russia so as to jointly write a new chapter in China-Russia relations.

He stressed that the two sides should strengthen strategic coordination, safeguard the national sovereignty, security and development interests of their respective countries, and resolutely oppose external interference in their internal affairs.

He also called on both sides to support Kazakhstan in holding a successful Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit this year, enhance unity and mutual trust, and safeguard regional security and stability as well as the common interests of regional countries, adding that China also actively supports Russia as the rotating BRICS presidency this year.

President Putin said this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. Under the joint efforts of both sides, bilateral relations have reached an unprecedented high level.

Expressing thanks to China for supporting Russia’s work in the BRICS rotating presidency this year, Putin said Russia stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with the Chinese side in regional and international multilateral frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to support each other, and to uphold multilateralism and safeguard respective legitimate interests.

Russia firmly abides by the one-China principle, opposes any dangerous actions provoking China on the Taiwan question, and believes that any plot impeding China’s peaceful reunification will not succeed, Putin noted.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) — China and Russia withstood many tests together in the past, and their relations embrace new development opportunities in the future, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Xi made the remarks in his phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, ahead of the Chinese New Year. In the phone call, the two heads of state also exchanged greetings of the Chinese New Year.

Noting that the Chinese Spring Festival is approaching and the festive atmosphere is strong, Xi said that the Chinese people are full of hope and confidence towards the coming Year of the Dragon.

Extending his best wishes to the friendly Chinese people, Putin said that the dragon symbolizes wisdom and strength in the Chinese culture.

He wished the Chinese people happiness in the Year of the Dragon and hoped that all their wishes would be fulfilled.

In the phone call, Xi said that it has become a fine tradition for him and Putin to exchange greetings by the turn of the year, review the achievements of the development of bilateral relations, and jointly look forward to the future.

Noting that he and Putin met twice and reached many important consensuses in the past year, Xi said that under the two leaders’ joint guidance, the governments, legislatures and political parties of the two countries have engaged in active exchanges, and bilateral cooperation in various fields has shown resilience and vitality, Xi said.

The annual bilateral trade volume met the aim ahead of schedule, while cultural and local exchanges between the two countries were vigorously carried out, and the Years of Sports Exchange between China and Russia were successfully concluded, Xi said.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xi said that China is ready to continue to uphold the spirit of mutual assistance and everlasting friendship with Russia to jointly write a new chapter in China-Russia relations.

Xi stressed that the two sides should strengthen strategic coordination, safeguard the national sovereignty, security and development interests of their respective countries, and resolutely oppose external interference in their internal affairs.

The two sides should cultivate new momentum for bilateral cooperation, maintain the stability of the industrial and supply chains, jointly host the China-Russia Years of Culture, hold down-to-earth and warm cultural exchanges that connect the hearts of the two peoples, and constantly tighten the bonds of their people, Xi said.

Xi called on both sides to support Kazakhstan in holding a successful Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit this year, enhance unity and mutual trust, and safeguard regional security and stability as well as the common interests of regional countries, adding that China also actively supports Russia as the rotating BRICS presidency this year.

China stands ready to strengthen international multilateral coordination with Russia, practice the true multilateralism, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and economic globalization that benefits all, and make the global governance system more just and reasonable, so as to make positive contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

For his part, Putin said this year marks the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. Under the joint efforts of both sides, bilateral relations have reached an unprecedented high level.

Last year, Russia-China cooperation in various fields yielded fruitful results, Putin said, expressing his willingness to continue to maintain close interaction with President Xi, so that the two leaders can guide the two countries to achieve new progress in cooperation in all fields.

He hopes the two sides will successfully hold the Russia-China Years of Culture and a series of cultural and people-to-people exchanges this year, further cementing the foundation of friendship between the two peoples.

Expressing thanks to China for supporting Russia’s work in the BRICS rotating presidency this year, Putin said Russia stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with the Chinese side in regional and international multilateral frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to support each other, and to uphold multilateralism and safeguard respective legitimate interests.

Russia firmly abides by the one-China principle, opposes any dangerous actions provoking China on the Taiwan question, and believes that any plot impeding China’s peaceful reunification will not succeed, Putin noted.

The two heads of state also exchanged in-depth views on current international and regional hotspot issues. The two heads of state agreed to keep close contact in the new year, and have in-depth exchanges on China-Russia relations and strategic issues of common concern. 

Wang Yi calls for intensifying China-Russia strategic coordination

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi exchanged new year greetings with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov in a January 10 phone call. 

Wang Yi said that, as two responsible major countries, China and Russia should strengthen strategic communication, build more strategic consensuses and carry out more strategic cooperation on the future of humanity and the world.

In the past year, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has been running on high gear, he said, adding that through high-quality strategic coordination, the two sides have not only well managed the affairs of their respective countries, but also played mainstay roles in the international arena and maintained global strategic stability.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia and the commencement of the China-Russia Years of Culture, Wang said the two sides should, in accordance with the consensus reached by the two heads of state, hold celebration activities, intensify high-level exchanges, promote the in-depth development of bilateral practical cooperation, advance people-to-people exchanges in various fields, and further consolidate the public support and social foundation for bilateral relations.

The People’s Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. The next day, the Soviet Union became the first country to recognise the new China and establish diplomatic relations with it. 

Wang added that China firmly believes that Russia will be able to successfully complete its important domestic political agenda, and maintain national stability and development. Russia is scheduled to hold its presidential election, March 15-17, in which President Putin is widely expected to be re-elected.

Lavrov said that Russia is willing to work with China to promote BRICS cooperation to achieve greater results, and strengthen communication and coordination on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East. Wang responded that both China and Russia should continue to beef up communication and coordination, and urge for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, ensure smooth delivery of humanitarian relief, and make joint efforts for restarting the two-state solution.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) — As two responsible major countries, China and Russia should strengthen strategic communication, build more strategic consensuses and carry out more strategic cooperation on the future of mankind and the world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks in a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during which they exchanged New Year greetings.

In the past year, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has been running on high gear, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Through high-quality strategic coordination, the two sides have not only well managed the affairs of their respective countries, but also played mainstay roles in the international arena and maintained global strategic stability, Wang said.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia and the commencement of the China-Russia Years of Culture, Wang said the two sides should, in accordance with the consensus reached by the two heads of state, hold celebration activities, intensify high-level exchanges, promote the in-depth development of bilateral practical cooperation, advance people-to-people exchanges in various fields, and further consolidate the public support and social foundation for bilateral relations.

China firmly believes that Russia will be able to successfully complete its important domestic political agenda, and maintain national stability and development, Wang said.

At the recent Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, President Xi comprehensively reviewed China’s major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, made strategic plans for the next steps, particularly elucidating the profound connotations of the scientific system of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and advocated an equal and orderly multipolar world, as well as an inclusive economic globalization that benefits all, which conforms to the trend of development and progress of the times and resonates with the common aspirations of most countries, Wang said.

Noting that Russia-China relations have yielded fruitful results in 2023, Lavrov said that in the new year, Russia stands ready to work with China to maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen bilateral cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, and investment, deepen people-to-people exchanges in the fields of sports and culture, hold successful China-Russia Year of Culture, advance communication and coordination in international affairs, and join hands to push for new achievements in bilateral relations.

Russia firmly adheres to the one-China principle, he added.

The two sides also exchanged views on BRICS cooperation and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Lavrov said Russia is willing to work with China to promote BRICS cooperation to achieve greater results, and strengthen communication and coordination on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East.

Wang said China fully supports Russia, which assumes BRICS chairmanship this year, in hosting a successful BRICS summit, and stands ready to make joint efforts with Russia to enhance the international influence of BRICS and lift BRICS cooperation to a new level.

Both China and Russia should continue to beef up communication and coordination, and urge for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, ensure smooth delivery of humanitarian relief, and make joint efforts for restarting the two-state solution.

They also discussed other international and regional issues of common concern. 

Vladimir Putin: US exceptionalism is an extension of the colonial mindset

In this edition of the CGTN series Leaders Talk, Wang Guan travels to Moscow to interview Vladimir Putin, shortly before the Russian President left for Beijing to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. 

President Putin notes that, in building their relations, Russia and China have “always tried to reach a compromise, even on complicated issues inherited from the old days. Our relations have always been driven by goodwill. It helped us solve the border delimitation issues that had remained outstanding for 40 years.”

Wang Guan gives his impression of the thriving economic relations between the two countries, saying that on this visit to Moscow, he “saw that the streets and stores, including online trading platforms, were increasingly filled with Chinese brands. At the same time, Russian gas is supplied to the homes of Chinese consumers and Russian meat and dairy products, for example, are becoming more and more common in Chinese stores.”

President Putin agrees that his country and China are well on the way to meeting their joint target for two-way trade to reach 200 billion US dollars by 2024.

Turning to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Russian leader commented that: “Yes, we see that some people consider it an attempt by the People’s Republic of China to put someone under its thumb, but we see otherwise, we just see desire for cooperation. Our own ideas on the development of the Eurasian Economic Union, for example, on the construction of a Greater Eurasia, fully coincide with the Chinese ideas proposed within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.”

Thanks to the BRI, the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have already secured $24 billion dollars’ worth of investments, Putin says, and continues:

“It seems to me that the main advantage of the concept of cooperation proposed by the Chinese side is that nobody imposes anything on anybody in the framework of this work. Everything is done within the framework of finding not only acceptable solutions, but such projects and such ways of achieving a common goal that are acceptable to all. This is what makes China today, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, unique in building relations with others: no one imposes anything on anyone; no one forces anything on anyone, but only gives them opportunity. And, as I said, if there are difficulties, compromises are sought and always found. In my view, this is what distinguishes the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by the Chinese President from many others that countries with a heavy colonial legacy are trying to implement in the world.”

Reflecting his well-known interest, President Putin refers several times to sports, especially the martial arts and ice hockey, and to his hope to increase cooperation with China in this field, and, citing the importance of sports in his own life, states:

“Everyone knows and it’s not a secret that I come from a simple working-class family, and in the past, I had a lot of time to spend in the yard. I don’t know how my life would have turned out if I hadn’t taken an interest in sports. It doesn’t really matter what kind of sports I did, it’s important that I paid a lot of attention to it.”

Following up on what he said recently at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, President Putin excoriated the Western verbiage about a “rules-based order”:

“Have you ever seen those rules? No, you haven’t, because no one has agreed on them with anyone. So how can one talk about order based on rules that no one has ever seen? In terms of common sense, it’s nonsense. But it is beneficial to those who promote this approach. Because if no one has seen the rules, it only means that those who talk about them are making them up themselves from time to time to their own advantage. That is the colonial approach.

“Because colonial countries have always believed that they are first-rated people. After all, they have always talked about bringing enlightenment to their colonies, that they are civilized people who bring the benefits of civilization to other nations, whom they consider second-rate people. No surprise today’s political elite, say, in the United States, talks about its exceptionalism. This is the extension of this colonial mindset, meaning that when they consider themselves exceptional in the United States, it means that other people, all the people in fact, are just some second-rate people. How else could one understand it? Those are mere vestiges of colonial thinking, nothing else.

“Our approach is quite different. We proceed from the fact that all people are equal, all people have the same rights; the rights and freedoms of one country and one nation end where the rights and freedoms of another person, of an entire state, appear. This is the way in which a multipolar world should be evolving gradually. This is exactly what we are striving for, and this is the basis of our interaction with China on the international stage.”

He also speaks about the BRICS cooperation mechanism and its recent expansion from five to 11 members, saying that “all those who have joined BRICS support the idea and concept of forming a multipolar world. No one wants to play second fiddle to some sovereign, everyone wants equal rights. And when they join BRICS, they see that we can achieve this goal by joining efforts within the framework of expansion and strengthening of such a format.”

President Putin also discusses the conflict in Ukraine and the Chinese proposal for a political solution:

“We are thankful to our Chinese friends for trying to think about ways to end this crisis. However, I would like to remind you that hostilities in Ukraine did not start with our special military operation, but way before – in 2014, when the Western countries, after having volunteered as guarantors of the agreements between President Yanukovich and the opposition, forgot about those guarantees in a matter of days and – worse still – supported a coup d’état. United States Administration officials even acknowledged spending big money on it…

“Therefore, the start of the special military operation was not the start of a war, but an attempt to end it.”

Referring to the negotiations held in the Turkish city of Istanbul, shortly after the start of the special military operation, Putin notes that agreement was almost reached, however, “as soon as we pulled our troops back from the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the Ukrainian side committed all the arrangements to flames.” Therefore:

“Of course, we know the proposals of our Chinese friends. We highly value those proposals. I think they are absolutely realistic and could lay the foundation for peace arrangements. But, unfortunately, the opposing side does not want to enter into any negotiations. In fact, the President of Ukraine has even issued a decree prohibiting everyone – including himself – to conduct any negotiations with us. How can we conduct negotiations if they are not willing to and even issued a regulation prohibiting such negotiations?”

Asked if there is any possibility to make progress based on the Chinese standpoint of building shared, common, and indivisible security, Putin says:

“Yes, we have always said that, too… In this context, it is extremely important for us that Ukraine stays outside any blocs. We were told as far back as 1991 – by the then US Administration – that NATO would not expand further east. Since then, there have been five waves of NATO expansion, and every time we expressed our concerns. Every time we were told: yes, we promised you not to expand NATO eastwards, but those were verbal promises – is there any paper with our signature on it? No paper? Good-bye.

“You see, it is very difficult to engage in a dialogue with people like that. I have already cited the example of the Iranian nuclear programme. The negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme were very, very lengthy. An agreement was reached, a compromise found, and documents signed. Then came a new Administration and threw everything in the trash, as if those arrangements never existed. How can we agree on anything if every new Administration starts from scratch – begin each time from the centre of the playing field?”

The CGTN interview with President Putin is embedded below. We also reproduce the full text of the interview as published by the Russian President’s website. The quotations above are taken from the latter version.

Continue reading Vladimir Putin: US exceptionalism is an extension of the colonial mindset

Putin: the Belt and Road Initiative is a truly important idea, facilitating a fairer, multipolar world

At the opening ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on October 18, the speech of Chinese President Xi Jinping was immediately followed by that of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

Noting that the forum was being held on the tenth anniversary of President Xi proposing the Belt and Road Initiative, President Putin described the BRI, as “a truly important and global idea that is spearheaded into the future, towards creating a fairer multipolar world and system of relations,” adding:

“We pointed out on numerous occasions that Russia and China, just as the majority of other countries, share the striving for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation towards universal, sustainable and lasting economic progress and social welfare based on respect for civilisational diversity and the right of every state to its own development model.”

Putin asserted that BRI is based on these fundamental principles and therefore fits very well with the integration processes underway in many regions:

“It also rhymes with our idea of creating a greater Eurasian partnership as an area of cooperation and interaction among like-minded nations and the alignment of various integration processes, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which Russia is successfully developing with its post-Soviet partners. It is notable that Russia and China have reached a practical agreement on a concurrent and coordinated development of the EAEU and the Belt and Road Initiative.”

President Putin took the opportunity to outline the various projects and plans of the Russian Federation in this regard, such as work to connect Russian ports on the Baltic and Arctic seas to ports in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, including seamless rail connectivity from Murmansk in the far northwest of Russia to the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf.

Concluding, President Putin noted that, “when a major project is launched, everybody hopes that it will succeed. However, to be honest, it is difficult to expect that all its elements will be successful, considering the global scale of the initiative advanced by the President of the People’s Republic of China 10 years ago. Our Chinese friends are working successfully. We are happy for them, because this also concerns many of us.”

His speech was followed by those of the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Argentina, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The following is the full text of President Putin’s speech. It was originally published on the official website of the President of Russia.

President Xi, my dear friend,

Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to express gratitude to President of China Xi Jinping for inviting me to the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The forum is being held on the 10th anniversary of the initiative Mr Xi advanced, a truly important and global idea that is spearheaded into the future, towards creating a fairer multipolar world and system of relations. It is a global plan, without a doubt.

I agree with the President of China that the Belt and Road idea ties in logically with multilateral efforts to promote creative and constructive interaction throughout the international community.

We pointed out on numerous occasions that Russia and China, just as the majority of other countries, share the striving for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation towards universal, sustainable and lasting economic progress and social welfare based on respect for the civilisational diversity and the right of every state to its own development model.

The Belt and Road initiative is based on these fundamental principles and fits in very well with the integration processes that are ongoing in many regions. It also corresponds to the Russian ideas of creating an integration contour that will ensure the freedom of trade, investment and employment and will be complemented with interconnected infrastructure.

Continue reading Putin: the Belt and Road Initiative is a truly important idea, facilitating a fairer, multipolar world

Interview: China is governed in the interests of working people, the US in the interests of capital

In this interview with Global Times, Sara Flounders – a contributing editor to Workers World and a member of our advisory group – shares her analysis of the escalating New Cold War and the US’s global hegemonic project. Comparing the West’s approach of war, sanctions, coercion and destabilisation with China’s vision of a human community with a shared future, Sara observes:

The very concept of shared future and cooperation has a profound impact. It’s not threatening to other countries, and it has the win-win idea, meaning if your economy is growing and our economy is growing, that’s better for both of us. That’s the basis of building further and deeper trust.

Sara points out that the differing approaches to international and domestic politics taken by the US and China can ultimately be explained by their differing social systems. In socialist China, the government operates in the interests of working people, whereas “the political parties in the US operate in the interests of the top corporations and banks.”

The interview concludes with a note of caution: with US hegemony in decline, the US ruling class is hitting out in all directions in a bid to prevent that decline. “It’s a very dangerous juncture, because this is very threatening to US imperialism and we have to be prepared what they will do to try to preserve their role.” The situation calls for maximum unity of the global working class and oppressed nations, to defend our collective interests and press ahead to a multipolar future free from imperialism.

GT: The Russia-Ukraine conflict has dragged on for more than a year. What lessons can the world draw from this conflict?

Flounders: Hopefully, they will draw the conclusion not to go along with US provocations, intentional disruptions, and efforts to create crisis.

Now, out of this war in the past year, Russia has not only survived economically, its currency and its trade with the Global South have been reinforced and are stronger today. However, for the EU, they’re in a much weaker position. We shouldn’t forget that even though they are US allies, they are also competitors. The euro is now weaker than the dollar, the war has benefited the US and yet has been very harmful for all of the EU countries that went along with the war.

I think countries around the world will draw their conclusions. Do they want to be roped into this? Especially in Asia, who can US imperialism rope in in terms of their own sovereignty? Who can resist the US pressure?

GT: Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen was in California and met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. While the US contains Russia through the Ukraine war in Europe, does it also want to provoke a war in the Taiwan Strait to contain China?

Flounders: This meeting was a direct and intentional violation of signed agreements that the US has made with China. China is one. Taiwan is a province of China. This is agreed to by the world, by the United Nations, by the US and by Taiwan’s “constitution.” For Kevin McCarthy to line up other congressional members and meet with Tsai Ing-wen is a direct violation of past agreements.

In the same way that Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan last year was a direct and deliberate violation of the agreement. There’s no reason to do this, except to attempt to create provocations, to create further disruption of what had been an orderly process of reconciliation and of Taiwan becoming part of China, which is the wish for great majority of the people, even in Taiwan.

China’s approach is to continue to use diplomacy to not be baited into an intentional provocation. However, it is becoming a difficult situation because one offense after another, one arms shipment after another. And US aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, destroyers, sail into the Taiwan Straits. These are all intended provocations, and any one of them could be a dangerous jumping-off point. 

GT: The US pursues hegemony by provoking conflicts. China promotes a human community with a shared future. What do the two differing governance concepts bring to the world?

Flounders: The very concept of shared future and cooperation has a profound impact. It’s not threatening to other countries, and it has the win-win idea, meaning if your economy is growing and our economy is growing, that’s better for both of us. That’s the basis of building further and deeper trust.

Continue reading Interview: China is governed in the interests of working people, the US in the interests of capital

Xi’s visit to Russia: a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace

Following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Russia, March 20-22, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who accompanied the President, briefed the press crew on its results.

This detailed briefing is significant not only for its summation of the visit but more especially for its careful and profound exposition of the thinking behind it within the overall context of Chinese foreign policy and assessment of the international situation.

The visit, Qin Gang explained, was an important decision made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core from the perspectives of the overall situation. The changes unseen in a century have been accelerated and the international structures of power have undergone profound adjustments. The historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation is unstoppable, while hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism rampage, the Cold War mentality and bloc politics resurface, and the competition between the two trends and two paths has become more fierce. The world is entering a new period of turbulence and changes. As two major countries in the world and permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council, how the China-Russia relationship goes bears on global strategic stability and security, as well as the future evolution of the world landscape. The more complex the international situation is, the more necessary it is for China and Russia to strengthen communication and coordination.

Qin Gang said that 10 years ago, President Xi Jinping, when delivering a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, proposed for the first time the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Over the past 10 years, the vision has gained support from a growing number of countries. The evolution of the international situation has proven once again that only in sharing weal and woe and helping each other in solidarity and coordination will every country be able to help resolve global challenges facing humanity.

Clearly taking aim at imperialist propaganda against China, Russia and other anti-imperialist, independent countries, and particularly at US President Biden’s farcical “summit for democracy” held last week, Qin Gang noted that the principal contradiction in today’s world is not at all a so-called “democracy versus autocracy” contest hyped up by certain countries, but a struggle between development and containment of development, and between justice and power politics. In the face of rampant unilateralism and hegemonism, it is all the more valuable for China and Russia to consolidate and strengthen strategic coordination. China and Russia are committed to promoting a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations, which meets the demand for upholding international fairness and justice.

It was Moscow, he said, that was President Xi Jinping’s first overseas visit destination after he took office as Chinese President in 2013. Ten years on, President Xi Jinping once again chose Russia as his first overseas destination in a new term of office. It was by no means a coincidence, but a political choice made after careful consideration.  China and Russia are each other’s biggest neighbor, and are committed to no-alliance, no-confrontation and not targeting any third party in developing the bilateral relationship.

Qin Gang said, this visit comes as the Ukraine crisis is prolonged and escalated with its spillover effect continually surfacing. Most countries are deeply concerned and call for easing tensions, and there are more and more voices for ceasefire, peace and rationality. Recently, with the promotion and support of China, Saudi Arabia and Iran had successful talks in Beijing and decided to beat swords into plowshares, restoring their diplomatic relations. The international community highly values the Saudi Arabia-Iran talks as fully demonstrating that China is a fair, impartial, trustworthy and responsible major country, and expects China to play a greater role in solving regional hotspot issues. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, China has taken an objective and impartial position and actively promoted peace talks. 

During this visit, President Xi Jinping and President Putin had an in-depth and candid exchange on the Ukraine crisis. President Xi Jinping pointed out, a review of history shows that basically conflicts have to be settled through dialogue and negotiation. The more difficulties there are, the greater the need to keep space for peace. The more acute the problem is, the more important it is not to give up efforts for dialogue. As long as all parties embrace the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and pursue equal-footed, rational and results-oriented dialogue and consultation, they will find a reasonable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis. The Russian side highly praised China’s objective, impartial and balanced position, and said that Russia has carefully studied China’s position paper, and is open to talks for peace. Russia welcomes China to play a constructive role in this regard.

Foreign Minister Qin noted that  China was not the one creating the Ukraine crisis, nor a party to the crisis. Instead, China is an advocate of the political settlement of the crisis and a promoter of peace talks. Certain countries, out of selfish geopolitical interests, have done everything possible to obstruct peace talks, and even fabricated all kinds of rumors and fallacies to attack and smear China. But justice lies in the heart of people. Who is fanning the flames and fueling the fight? Who is promoting peace talks? These are all facts witnessed by the whole world. China’s position is clear-cut and consistent. Between peace and war, we choose peace. Between dialogue and sanctions, we choose dialogue. Between lowering the temperature and fanning the flames, we choose the former. China does not have selfish political interests or engage in geopolitical manipulation. Instead, China is sincerely committed to promoting peace talks and a ceasefire. 

We reprint below the full text of the briefing. It was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

From March 20 to 22, 2023, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Upon wrapping up the trip, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang briefed the accompanying press crew on the visit.

Qin Gang said that as China’s “two sessions” have just successfully concluded, President Xi Jinping paid the state visit to Russia, raising the new curtain on China’s head-of-state diplomacy for this year. At this special time of complex situations, the visit was substantive with rich connotations  and fruitful outcomes. The visit was an important decision made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core from the perspectives of the overall situation of national development and the general picture of diplomatic strategies, and it showcased China’s resolute commitment to an independent foreign policy of peace and an open mind to promote world peace. The visit has been closely followed internationally and it is commonly  believed that President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia is an event of far-reaching significance for global geopolitics, shows China’s international image as a peace builder, demonstrates China’s role and responsibility as a responsible major country, and will inject more stability into complicated international situations and conduce to promoting a multi-polar world and greater democracy in international relations.

I. Stay committed to independence and defend international fairness and justice

Qin Gang said that the changes unseen in a century have been accelerated and the international structures of power have undergone profound adjustments. The historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation is unstoppable, while hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism rampage, the Cold War mentality and bloc politics resurface, and the competition between the two trends and two paths has been more fierce. The world is entering a new period of turbulence and changes. As the two major countries in the world and permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council, how the China-Russia relationship goes  bears on global strategic stability and security, as well as the future evolution of the world landscape. The more complex the international situation is, the more necessary it is for China and Russia to strengthen communication and coordination.

Continue reading Xi’s visit to Russia: a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace

Joint statements of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation

Following extensive talks on March 21 between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Chinese leader’s Moscow visit, the two heads of state signed two important joint statements that will guide their bilateral relations for the coming period.

According to the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era:

“The two sides pointed out that China-Russia relations are not a military-political alliance similar to the Cold War era, but go beyond this model of state-to-state relations and have the nature of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third countries. The relationship between China and Russia is mature, stable, independent, and tenacious…The friendship between the two peoples from generation to generation has a solid foundation, and all-round cooperation between the two countries has broad prospects. Russia needs a prosperous and stable China, and China needs a strong and successful Russia. China and Russia regard each other as priority partners, always respect each other and treat each other as equals, becoming a model for today’s relations between major countries.”

It went on to note that, “the two sides pointed out that each country has the right to independently choose its development path due to its own history, culture, and national conditions. There is no superior ‘democracy’, and the two sides oppose the imposition of their own values, the demarcation of ideology, the hypocritical narrative of so-called ‘democracy against authoritarianism’, and the use of democracy and freedom as an excuse and political tool to put pressure on other countries. Russia attaches great importance to China’s Global Civilization Initiative.”

The joint statement then addressed the whole gamut of bilateral relations in detail, in the course of which it noted that:

“The two sides will forge a closer energy partnership, support companies to advance energy cooperation projects in oil and gas, coal, electricity, nuclear energy, etc., and promote initiatives that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the use of low-emission energy and renewable energy. The two sides will jointly safeguard international energy security, including critical cross-border infrastructure, maintain the stability of the energy product industry chain and supply chain, promote a fair energy transition and low-carbon development based on the principle of technology neutrality, and jointly contribute to the long-term healthy and stable development of the global energy market.

The statement also dealt with principles of international relations and a range of global issues, with the two countries reaffirming, “their commitment to firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,” and opposing,  “all forms of hegemonism, unilateralism and power politics, the Cold War mentality, camp confrontation and small circles targeting specific countries.”

They “stressed the importance of the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States on the Prevention of Nuclear War and the Avoidance of an Arms Race and reaffirmed that ‘a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought’. The two sides call on all signatories to the Joint Statement to follow the concept of the Statement in order to effectively reduce the risk of nuclear war and avoid any armed conflict between nuclear-weapon States. In the context of the deterioration of relations between nuclear-weapon States, measures to reduce strategic risks should be organically integrated into the overall effort to reduce tensions, build more constructive relations and resolve contradictions in the field of security to the greatest extent.” In a reference clearly directed at the United States, the Chinese and Russian Presidents noted that: “All nuclear-weapon States should refrain from deploying nuclear weapons outside their territories and should withdraw their nuclear weapons deployed outside their territories.”

They further “expressed serious concern about the consequences and risks to regional strategic stability of the Trilateral Security Partnership (AUKUS) established by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and related nuclear-powered submarine cooperation plans. The two sides strongly urge AUKUS member states to strictly comply with their obligations on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery and to maintain regional peace, stability, and development.

And: “The two sides reaffirmed that the Biological Weapons Convention should be fully adhered to and continuously strengthened, institutionalized and concluded with a legally binding protocol with an effective verification mechanism. The two sides expressed grave concern over the bio-military activities of the United States that seriously threaten other countries and undermine the security of the relevant regions within or outside its territory and requested the United States to clarify in this regard, refrain from carrying out all biological activities that violate the Biological Weapons Convention, and no longer obstruct the establishment of a compliance verification mechanism within the framework of the Convention.”

They also affirmed their commitment, “to the goal of a world free of chemical weapons and express deep concern over the politicization of the OPCW. [Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] The two sides urged the United States, as the only State party that has not completed the destruction of chemical weapons, to accelerate the destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles, and urged Japan to complete the destruction of abandoned chemical weapons in China as soon as possible.”

On the conflict in Ukraine: “The Russian side spoke positively of China’s objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue. The two sides oppose any country or group of countries seeking military, political, or other superiority that harms the legitimate security interests of other countries. The Russian side reiterated its commitment to resuming peace talks as soon as possible, and China appreciates this. The Russian side welcomes China’s willingness to play an active role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis through political and diplomatic means, and welcomes the constructive propositions set out in the document ‘China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis’. The two sides pointed out that the solution to the Ukraine crisis must respect the legitimate security concerns of all countries and prevent the formation of camp confrontation and add fuel to the fire. The two sides stressed that responsible dialogue is the best way to resolve the issue steadily. To that end, the international community should support relevant constructive efforts. The two sides call on all parties to stop all actions that contribute to the tense situation and the prolongation of the fighting to prevent the crisis from worsening or even getting out of control. The two sides oppose any unilateral sanctions not authorized by the UN Security Council.”

Turning to the tense situation in Northeast Asia, China and Russia, “oppose the undermining of regional peace and stability by extraterritorial military forces and call on relevant countries to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that endanger regional security…The US side should respond to the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the DPRK with concrete actions to create conditions for the resumption of dialogue.”

On the Middle East, they, “welcomed the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran through dialogue and supported a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution. We support Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and promote a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political settlement package.”

In the much shorter Joint Statement by the President of the People’s Republic and the President of the Russian Federation on the development plan for key directions of Sino-Russian economic cooperation until 2030, Xi and Putin laid out eight points, the fourth of which concerned energy and stated that their countries should:

“Consolidate the all-round energy partnership. Strengthen long-term cooperation in key energy areas, promote the implementation of strategic cooperation projects, expand cooperation forms, strengthen cooperation in energy technology, equipment, and other fields, jointly safeguard the energy security of the two countries and the world, and promote global energy transformation.”

The document also specified a number of other areas in which cooperation should be developed.

We reprint below the full texts of both documents, based on machine translation from the Chinese language original as published on the website of China’s Foreign Ministry. This translation has been lightly edited by us.

Joint statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era

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At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China paid a state visit to the Russian Federation from March 20-22, 2023. The two heads of state held talks in Moscow. President Xi Jinping also met with Prime Minister Mishustin of the Government of the Russian Federation.

The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as “the Parties”), declare the following:

One

With the unremitting efforts of both sides, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era has reached the highest level in history and has continued to develop. The two sides reaffirmed the development of bilateral relations in accordance with the principles and spirit set forth in the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation signed on July 7, 2001, the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the 16th Anniversary of the Signing of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation issued on June 6, 2021,  and the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on International Relations and Global Sustainable Development in the New Era issued on February 4, 2022.

Continue reading Joint statements of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin articles in leading Russian and Chinese media

Chinese President Xi Jinping began a state visit to Russia on March 20. This is his first overseas trip of 2023 and comes just after his re-election to serve as head of state for a third term. Xi also made his first international visit as China’s president to Russia back in 2013.

Just prior to the visit, Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin published special articles in the leading media of their friendly neighbor. Writing for Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian Gazette) and the RIA Novosti News Agency, President Xi noted that over the last decade, he has made eight visits to Russia and that he and President Putin have met 40 times:

“Our two sides have cemented political mutual trust and fostered a new model of major-country relations. Guided by a vision of lasting friendship and win-win cooperation, China and Russia are committed to no-alliance, no-confrontation and not targeting any third party in developing our ties.”

Xi Jinping further noted that: “China and Russia are firmly committed to safeguarding the UN-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”

Alluding to the complex history of relations between China and Russia and the former Soviet Union, the Chinese leader wrote: “Looking back on the extraordinary journey of China-Russia relations over the past 70 years and more, we feel strongly that our relationship has not reached easily where it is today, and that our friendship is growing steadily and must be cherished by us all.” His visit to Russia, Xi stressed, would be a, “journey of friendship, cooperation and peace,” adding:

“The historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation is unstoppable. The prevailing trends of world multipolarity, economic globalization and greater democracy in international relations are irreversible. On the other hand, our world is confronted with complex and intertwined traditional and non-traditional security challenges, damaging acts of hegemony, domination and bullying, and long and tortuous global economic recovery.”

“The international community,” Xi emphasized, “has recognized that no country is superior to others, no model of governance is universal, and no single country should dictate the international order.”

Regarding the Ukraine crisis, he stressed that, “China has all along upheld an objective and impartial position based on the merits of the issue, and actively promoted peace talks. I have put forth several proposals, i.e., observing the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect of the legitimate security concerns of all countries, supporting all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis, and ensuring the stability of global industrial and supply chains. They have become China’s fundamental principles for addressing the Ukraine crisis… There is no simple solution to a complex issue. We believe that as long as all parties embrace the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and pursue equal-footed, rational and results-oriented dialogue and consultation, they will find a reasonable way to resolve the crisis.”

Simultaneously, President Putin wrote in China’s People’s Daily that, over the last ten years, “the world has seen many changes, often not for the better. Yet the main thing has remained unchanged: I am talking of the firm friendship between Russia and China, which is consistently growing stronger for the benefit and in the interest of our countries and peoples.”

The Russian leader also alluded to complex histories, writing: “The Russia-China relations have reached the highest level in their history and are gaining even more strength; they surpass Cold War-time military-political alliances in their quality, with no one to constantly order and no one to constantly obey.” Surveying the development of mutually beneficial economic relations, he laid stress on the fact that “the share of settlements in national currencies in our mutual trade is growing, further strengthening the sovereignty of our relations.”

Drawing a demarcation with “some countries claiming hegemony and bringing discord to the global harmony,” Putin observed that: “Amidst the ‘waves and winds’ that sweep the planet, we closely cooperate in international affairs and effectively coordinate our foreign policy positions, counter common threats, and respond to current challenges, standing shoulder to shoulder as a ‘rock amid a fast flowing stream’. We actively promote democratic multilateral structures such as the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization] and BRICS, which become more and more authoritative and influential and attract new partners and friends.”

“Our two countries,” the Russian leader wrote, “together with like-minded actors, have consistently advocated the shaping of a more just multipolar world order based on international law rather than certain ‘rules’ serving the needs of the ‘golden billion’ [the small minority of imperialist powers]…The US’s policy of simultaneously deterring Russia and China, as well as all those who do not bend to the American dictation, is getting ever more fierce and aggressive. The international security and cooperation architecture is being dismantled. Russia has been labelled an ‘immediate threat’ and China a ‘strategic competitor’.”

Turning directly to the Ukraine crisis, President Putin wrote: “We appreciate the well-balanced stance on the events in Ukraine adopted by the PRC, as well as its understanding of their historical background and root causes. We welcome China’s readiness to make a meaningful contribution to the settlement of the crisis. Like our friends in China, we advocate for the strict compliance with the UN Charter, respect for the norms of international law, including humanitarian law. We are committed to the principle of the indivisibility of security, which is being grossly violated by the NATO bloc. We are deeply concerned over the irresponsible and outright dangerous actions that jeopardize nuclear security. We reject illegitimate unilateral sanctions, which must be lifted. Russia is open to the political and diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine crisis. It was not Russia who broke off the peace talks back in April 2022.”

We republish below the full texts of the articles by the two heads of state. They were originally published in English on the websites of the Xinhua News Agency and the Russian Presidency.

Forging Ahead to Open a New Chapter of China-Russia Friendship, Cooperation and Common Development

Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China

At the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, I will soon pay a state visit to the Russian Federation. Russia was the first country I visited after I was elected President 10 years ago. Over the past decade, I have made eight visits to Russia. I came each time with high expectations and returned with fruitful results, opening a new chapter for China-Russia relations together with President Putin.

Continue reading Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin articles in leading Russian and Chinese media

China’s position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis

On February 23, with the first anniversary of Russia’s launch of its Special Military Operation in Ukraine, China issued a 12-point document, setting out its official position on the conflict.

The 12 points are:

  1. Respecting the sovereignty of all countries
  2. Abandoning the Cold War mentality
  3. Ceasing hostilities
  4. Resuming peace talks
  5. Resolving the humanitarian crisis
  6. Protecting civilians and prisoners of war (POWs)
  7. Keeping nuclear power plants safe
  8. Reducing strategic risks
  9. Facilitating grain exports
  10. Stopping unilateral sanctions
  11. Keeping industrial and supply chains stable
  12. Promoting post-conflict reconstruction

Regarding the first point concerning respect for the sovereignty of all countries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry calls for strict observance of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. It stresses that: “The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld. All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community.” Significantly, considering the long and continuing record of the imperialist powers in failing to observe and flagrantly breaching these principles, it adds, in a point that has been expressed in one way or another by numerous countries of the Global South, that: “Equal and uniform application of international law should be promoted, while double standards must be rejected.”

On the need to abandon the Cold War mentality, the document states: “The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly.” This underscores that part of the complex background to the present tragic situation lies in the steady expansion of the aggressive NATO alliance right to the borders of Russia, in breach of repeated promises made to Soviet and Russian leaders at the time of the collapse of the USSR. It also alludes to the proposed accession of hitherto ostensibly neutral Finland and Sweden to NATO. It continues by calling for the forging of a “a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture,” and working together for peace and stability on the Eurasian continent. Such proposals, in one form or another, have been advanced over the years by a number of countries, including France and Russia. They are, of course, bitterly opposed by the United States, as the prospect of the countries and peoples of Europe and the wider Eurasian space making their own arrangements and settling their own problems would correspondingly reduce the superpower’s capacity for hegemonic meddling, division and domination.

The document calls for resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, noting that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the crisis. It should be noted here that such negotiations between Russia and Ukraine had resulted in at least the broad outlines of an agreed settlement as far back as last April, but this was scuppered by outside intervention, not least a hurried visit to the Ukrainian capital by then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Since then the peace process has been aborted and the conflict has escalated, thanks to massive infusions of western military support, making the proxy nature of the conflict completely transparent.

China reaffirms that it opposes armed attacks against nuclear power plants or other peaceful nuclear facilities. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly shelled the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and obstructed international inspectors. It further notes that: “Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought. The threat or use of nuclear weapons should be opposed.” This not only reflects the fact that China is the only one of the five recognised nuclear powers that has consistently and unequivocally stood for a ‘no first use’ policy, but also the fact that the quoted statement embodies an agreed position taken by the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France not long before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also insists that: “Unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue; they only create new problems…Relevant countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ against other countries.” Unilateral sanctions are a kind of ‘smokeless warfare’ deployed by the United States against any country that displeases it or fails to dance to its tune. In a clearly well-prepared operation, they have been deployed against Russia, to a maximum and still escalating extent, since the start of the special military operation. Equally, the US uses ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ on an industrial scale, against adversaries and allies alike, as this recent detailed presentation published by the Xinhua News Agency makes clear.

Below is the full text of the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. It originally appeared on the ministry’s website.

1. Respecting the sovereignty of all countries. Universally recognized international law, including the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, must be strictly observed. The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld. All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. All parties should jointly uphold the basic norms governing international relations and defend international fairness and justice. Equal and uniform application of international law should be promoted, while double standards must be rejected. 

2. Abandoning the Cold War mentality. The security of a country should not be pursued at the expense of others. The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly. There is no simple solution to a complex issue. All parties should, following the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and bearing in mind the long-term peace and stability of the world, help forge a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture. All parties should oppose the pursuit of one’s own security at the cost of others’ security, prevent bloc confrontation, and work together for peace and stability on the Eurasian Continent.

Continue reading China’s position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis

Wang Yi meets with Sergey Lavrov

As part of the recent week of intensive diplomatic activity in Asia, focused around regional and global gatherings successively in Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Bali, Indonesia, on November 15, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit of major economies.

Discussing the Ukraine issue, Wang Yi said that China has noted that Russia recently reiterated its established position that a nuclear war must never be fought, which represents a rational and responsible attitude of Russia.

The importance of this statement is that it clearly debunks the, deliberate or otherwise, misrepresentation of the comments made by Chinese President Xi Jinping, for example in his meeting with German Chancellor Scholz, opposing the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukraine conflict as somehow representing an attack on Russia or indicating a fundamental difference between the two countries.

The following article was first published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

On November 15, 2022 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was accompanying President Xi Jinping to the Group of Twenty (G20) Bali Summit, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the summit.

Lavrov once again extended warm congratulations on the success of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). He said that President Xi Jinping’s re-election as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee by a unanimous vote testifies to the lofty political prestige of President Xi Jinping and the deep trust and strong support from the Chinese people. Russia is ready to work with China to further consolidate the sound momentum of high-level exchanges between the two countries, maintain the continuity of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, expand pragmatic cooperation between the two sides, and strengthen international coordination, so as to fully release the potential of Russia-China relations.

Wang Yi said that the success of the 20th CPC National Congress has been in the limelight in China and the world as a whole. The most important outcome of the congress is the election of a new central leadership with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. That fully reflects the common will of the whole Party and the people across the country. Steered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core of the Party central committee and in the Party as a whole, and under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China, as a giant ship,  will forge ahead toward the established goal of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation without fear of any winds and storms. China is ready to work with Russia to pursue a well-coordinated approach to high-level exchanges and exchanges in various fields, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and facilitate personnel exchanges.

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