Reference News Network reported that Putin stressed the importance of Russian-Chinese cooperation in maintaining world stability at the plenary meeting of the Valdai International Debate Club. He said that Russian-Chinese cooperation is not aimed at any country, but is carried out in a constructive manner, aimed at achieving positive results for both countries and global partners.
Putin pointed out that Russia and China are actively cooperating, working together to build road and railway systems, cooperate in the field of industrial production, and supply each other with the necessary goods. Although Putin did not enumerate the cooperation projects, he stressed that they are already thriving and their size and number are very impressive.
At this important meeting, Putin expressed his position that he would not ally with China in a rare and straightforward way, which can be seen as a response to China's views. Putin has a clear understanding of China-Russia relations, which will not only not have a negative impact on Sino-Russian relations, but will help clarify the ambiguous areas in the relations between the two countries and lay the foundation for China and Russia to promote cooperation in more fields.
Putin also mentioned plans for cooperation between China and Russia in the development of infrastructure, including within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. The construction of Greater Eurasia advocated by Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union and the "Belt and Road" initiative led by China will carry out cooperation in many fields. Putin believes that this form of cooperation has great prospects.
On the issue of "Sino-Russian alliance", in fact, there is a lot of concern and demand in Russia, which is reflected in the remarks of many Russian officials and media.
In the current situation, Putin's latest statement can be seen as Russia's confirmation of the fact that "Sino-Russian alliance" is in the highest will. However, this statement does not imply that China and Russia will truly form an alliance or that their cooperation will be directed against a third party. Compared with the "three noes" principle of China-Russia relations put forward by the Chinese side earlier, that is, non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties, this statement is very similar in overall position.
Sino-Russian relations date back hundreds of years, but history is not present in the form of friendship today. This phenomenon can be attributed to a number of factors, the first of which Mirzayan mentioned is related to the history of the Chinese nation. China's longstanding dominance in Central Asia has led to skepticism about forming equal-status alliances with other countries. This attitude is deeply rooted in the historical traditions of the Chinese nation and has played an important role in international affairs.
The second reason relates to geopolitical realities. According to Mirzayan, China wants to maintain foreign policy flexibility without being constrained by any external alliances. Therefore, they are reluctant to sign any alliance treaties to ensure that they can determine their foreign policy autonomously.
Despite their geographical proximity, there are differences in certain geopolitical issues that make it difficult to form a long-term stable alliance. China has always advocated peaceful diplomacy and adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, which also makes it difficult for China and Russia to reach alliances. At the same time, Putin agreed with China's peaceful diplomacy and put forward the idea of a non-alignment policy. He believes that in today's world, it is necessary to establish a multipolar international order, and countries should treat each other as equals and respect each other's interests and development paths. However, despite some similar views, differences between China and Russia remain, which is one of the reasons why it is difficult for the two countries to form an alliance.
As countries with great strength and influence, the cooperation between China and Russia will undoubtedly have a positive impact in all aspects.
China and Russia have three important focuses on security cooperation. First, the two countries will further strengthen cooperation in military technology and arms trade. Second, they will enhance the level of cooperation between the two militaries in operational command and other aspects. Recently, China and Russia have conducted a number of joint military exercises and joint patrols aimed at enhancing the interoperability of the two militaries. Finally, China and Russia will align on international and regional security issues. The two sides will work together to resolve issues such as tensions on the Korean Peninsula, terrorism, Afghanistan and international nuclear security. In addition, China and Russia have taken special actions to maintain stability on the peninsula.
This year's Far East Economic Forum is of great significance for Russia. Due to the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Western countries have imposed severe economic sanctions on Russia, which has made the Russian economy even worse. Against this background, Russia is eager to get rid of the Western blockade and seek opportunities for economic cooperation. The Far East Economic Forum has become a key platform for Russia to break the Western economic blockade.
Putin made it clear that China and Russia are not allies, unlike the view that the West has been hyping up the Sino-Russian military alliance. However, he stressed that Sino-Russian relations are at an all-time high. This statement shows that Putin attaches great importance to Sino-Russian relations.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing changes in the global economy, Putin highlighted at the forum that the destruction of the trade and financial systems by some Western countries became one of the main reasons. In this context, more and more countries want sincere and pragmatic cooperation, not succumbing to external pressure, but guided by their own interests.
Putin stressed that a completely new model of integration is emerging, which is very different from the Western model. This new model is characterized by openness and aims to achieve the common good of all humanity and the evolving multipolar world. He further noted that a country should not engage in diplomatic work in conflict with the interests of other countries. However, Western countries value only their own interests, so they cannot win true friends.
Over the past few years, Sino-Russian cooperation has reached unprecedented heights, which has had a positive impact in all fields. First of all, in terms of economic and trade cooperation, the trade volume between China and Russia has continued to grow, and the investment volume of Chinese enterprises in the Russian Far East accounts for more than 90% of the total foreign investment. This partnership not only boosts the economies of both countries, but also provides valuable opportunities for complementary technologies and resources between the two countries.
Second, China and Russia have actively built a strategic partnership, not only maintaining close cooperation in regional and international affairs, but also playing a positive role in promoting global multipolarization and stability of the international order through coordination and cooperation with the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other international institutions.
Russia recently invited Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for a goodwill visit and received his arrival at a high standard. Surprisingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally received Wang Yi, which once again demonstrated the importance that Russia attaches to China's high-level personnel.
Putin also expressed his views after the talks, and he hoped that China and Russia could further strengthen strategic coordination and make more important contributions to maintaining peace and stability in the international community.
We respond to the accusations of Western countries. The United States has been actively promoting the Indo-Pacific strategy and continues to attract Asian countries to form small circles. Whether in the economic sphere or in the military sphere, the actions of the United States are undoubtedly confrontational with the alliance between Russia and China. Such practices are a clear violation of the principles of international law and order. Such actions not only pose a threat to the peace and stability of international relations, but also exacerbate regional tensions.
China has always adhered to a foreign policy of independence and peaceful development. China attaches great importance to the maintenance of international and regional peace and stability and firmly opposes the use of war and force to settle international disputes. At any time, China will not act rashly, will not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and will not actively participate in conflicts in other countries. As a responsible major country, China will firmly uphold the foreign policy of peace and strive to maintain world peace and stability. Despite the close cooperative relationship between China and Russia, China does not act rashly or intervene in conflicts in other countries.
In recent years, the close cooperation between China and Russia has achieved remarkable results in the political, economic and cultural fields, laying a solid foundation for promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation. High-level exchanges and exchanges have been continuously strengthened, providing strong support for deepening friendly relations between the two sides. The continuous growth of trade volume and investment reflects the broad potential of economic cooperation between the two countries. In addition, the cooperation mechanism in various fields has also been continuously improved, providing an effective platform for further strengthening cooperation between the two sides.
In 2022, the trade volume between China and Russia once again ushered in a bright growth, increasing by 29.3% from last year to 190.271 billion US dollars, reaching a record high. This remarkable trend not only highlights the consensus reached by the two sides on deepening cooperation, but also highlights the continuous development of bilateral cooperation.