Russian President Vladimir Putin was interviewed by the director of the Central Radio and Television Corporation

On the eve of being invited to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted a written interview with Shen Haixiong, director and editor-in-chief of the Central Radio and Television Station.

The interview is as follows:

Mr. Shin: Dear Mr. President, I am delighted to have the opportunity to interview you again! First of all, we warmly welcome you to China to attend the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In February 2014, President Xi Jinping was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the first time a Chinese head of state attended a major international sporting event held abroad. President Xi Jinping said at that time, "When neighbors do happy events, of course I will come to congratulate you in person." This year, China hosted the Winter Olympics for the first time, and it was during the Spring Festival, a great event that China clearly put forward its vision of "bringing 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports" when bidding for the Winter Olympics, and now even in my hometown of Zhejiang in southern China, there are ski resorts. You were the first of the world's leaders to make a clear statement at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. In your opinion, what kind of special role does sports play in the "neighborhoods" between China and Russia, and how can the two countries further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in ice and snow culture, ice and snow sports, and ice and snow industries? What kind of achievements do you expect from Russia at the Winter Olympics? Is it safe to predict how many gold medals Russia will win?

Putin: I have known President Xi Jinping for a long time, and as a good friend and politician who has many common views on solving world issues, we have maintained close communication. Therefore, I immediately accepted his invitation to visit China, and I would like to share with my Chinese friends the joy of hosting this year's world-important sports event, the Winter Olympics. It is worth noting that the first Winter Olympics in history to be held in Beijing, China, will be held during the Chinese New Year During the Spring Festival, and Beijing has become the first city in history to receive the right to host the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

I know that the organizers are already preparing for the Olympics, investing heavily in sports and transport infrastructure, building modern stadiums and creating conditions to ensure the safety of foreign athletes, coaches and journalists during their stay in China.

I believe that such high-quality Olympic preparation will help Olympians to give full play to their will qualities, so that they can show their skills in fair and indomitable competition and achieve their set goals. Of course, we will cheer for our athletes and rejoice in every victory and every achievement of theirs. But how much can be achieved, and how valuable the award is – only the competition can prove it. The pandemic may also affect athletes' participation, which in turn will affect the final results.

Sport is a unique phenomenon of human civilization. Holding large-scale sports events will help to narrow the distance between people, deepen mutual understanding, and promote the universally recognized principle of "fair play". The successful holding of large-scale sports events such as the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the mainland is a vivid testimony to this.

Russia has been and will continue to be committed to traditional Olympic values. We oppose the politicization of sport and its use as a tool for pressure, unfair competition and discrimination. We believe that the practice of "collective punishment" for individual violations of the law is unacceptable, but it has recently become commonplace. Of course, we strongly condemn the use of illicit drugs by athletes and advocate broad international cooperation to eliminate doping in sport.

The continent has a well-developed infrastructure, sports schools known for champions and traditional sports, as well as experience in hosting major international competitions, and our athletes have broken many world records, all of which help our citizens, especially young people, to engage in sports, promote universal health, and lay a solid foundation for future sports achievements. We plan to reach 55 percent of the population regularly physically active by 2024 and 70 percent by 2030.

The ties between Russia and China in the field of sports and sports are characterized by a wide range and a comprehensive nature, and occupy an important position in bilateral humanities cooperation. Many events, including those in winter sports, have truly become iconic events. These include: the Russian-Chinese Winter Youth Games, and the annual ice hockey friendly matches played by teams from the border areas of the two countries on the Amur River (Heilongjiang). Exchanges between Russian-Chinese sports federations and professional clubs have also developed positively. For example, for several years, China's "Kunlun Hongxing" ice hockey club has been playing in the "Russian Mainland Hockey League" – an agreement I reached when I visited China in 2016. In addition, we have established interactions in training young people to engage in ice hockey. In June 2018, President Xi and I watched a friendly ice hockey match between children in Russia and China.

In December 2021, President Xi Jinping and I declared 2022-2023 the "Year of Russian-Chinese Sports Exchanges", which will surely become a major and eye-catching event in the lives of our two peoples. The theme year includes approximately 500 different events in the areas of mass and youth sports, education, sports science and talent development. One of the most successful events will be held regularly.

I believe that Beijing will definitely host the Winter Olympics at the highest level. I wish all athletes and Olympians a smooth and successful competition, and I wish all guests a good and unforgettable feeling and a happy mood.

Shen Haixiong: After experiencing "mutual regard as friendly countries", "constructive partnership", "strategic partnership of coordination" and "comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination", in June 2019, the relations between the two countries were upgraded to "China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination in the New Era". On June 28, 2021, during your video meeting with President Xi Jinping, you announced the extension of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation.

Vladimir Putin: The Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and China, signed more than 20 years ago, is a basic programmatic document that lays the legal foundation for the long-term and stable development of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. Therefore, on June 28 last year, I and Chinese President Xi Jinping jointly decided to extend the treaty for another five years.

It is a document of profound thought, many of whose provisions continue to play an important role in today's rapidly changing international situation.

Russian-Chinese relations develop on an equal and non-ideological basis. Our partnership is stable and has independent value, it is not influenced by politics and is not directed at anyone. This relationship is based on respect for and consideration of each other's fundamental interests, respect for international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

In addition, the political mutual trust based on the Treaty has enabled our two countries to establish an effective multi-level inter-State cooperation architecture in which the meetings of the leaders of the two countries play a key role.

China firmly ranks first among Russia's trading partners. Despite the limitations of the epidemic, preliminary data show that bilateral trade reached a record high of $140 billion last year.

China is our strategic partner in the international arena. On most issues on the global agenda, our positions are consistent or very close. We maintain close coordination within major multilateral organizations and mechanisms such as the United Nations, brics, the SCO, the G20, APEC, and the East Asia Summit, which have a stabilizing effect on the current complex world situation.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that the concept we have established in the Russian-Chinese Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation has brought the partnership between our two countries to an unprecedented high level, a qualitative change in its nature and scale, and the conditions for further joint efforts.

Shen Haixiong: If you allow it, I would also like to ask you a question on behalf of Chinese netizens and the vast number of ice and snow sports enthusiasts. When I interviewed you more than three years ago, you mentioned that you would occasionally "try" to play a dozen hockeys. But it turns out that your statement at that time was too modest. At the All-Russian Night Hockey League tournament held last year (May 2021), you scored in the opening 30 seconds and scored 8 goals alone, not losing to professional athletes. Do you have any tips to share with ice and snow sports enthusiasts in China? If you had to predict, who would you think would score the first goal for Russia in this Winter Olympics ice hockey game? Outside of ice hockey, what are the ice and snow sports skills you most want to "unlock" right now?

Putin: I don't think I'm qualified to give any advice to people who love hockey. Or let professional hockey players and coaches do it. In my opinion, it doesn't matter what sport you play, what matters is that people should always engage in the sport they love. Persevere, firmly move towards the set goals, and then gradually master the skills.

Ice hockey has a long tradition in Russia and is very popular. The Night Hockey League, created in 2011, has a special place here. Today, the league has nearly 1,100 teams and brings together more than 20,000 hockey players from much of the continent. Many of our famous Olympic champions, world champions, are actively involved in the development of this project, and we are very grateful to them.

Our achievements in this regard are obvious. Last year, the number of hockey amateurs on the mainland exceeded 620,000, and that number is growing.

I would love to attend the League's events as my schedule allows. However, my athletic interests don't stop there. I would go skiing whenever I had the chance. I also love biathlon and figure skating, both of which continental athletes have always had a strong quality. I'm also interested in ski jumping. However, due to lack of time, I could only watch the game on TV.

Of course, we are very much looking forward to the performance of our hockey players in the upcoming Winter Olympics. Russia has a well-trained "hockey corps" with a spirit of unity and a will to win, each of whom has the ability to be the first to score a hockey ball into the opponent's goal.

There is no doubt that the ice hockey game at the Winter Olympics will be as exciting and unforgettable as ever. We will cheer for a good hockey game and, of course, we believe in our hockey athletes and wish them the best.