China and Russia - Together Towards New Heights

This year holds a special place in the history of China-Russia relations. It marks 30 years since the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation announced their intention to develop a partnership based on mutual trust and respect, aimed at strategic cooperation in the 21st century, as well as 25 years since the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between our countries. The Joint Declaration of 25 April 1996 established a model of cooperation that laid a solid foundation for modern China-Russia relations, whilst the historic Treaty defined the nature of cooperation between our countries for decades to come. 

Consistent efforts of President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin have brought bilateral cooperation to its highest level, and it continues to develop steadily, demonstrating maturity and self-sufficiency. The official visit to Beijing by the President of Russia on 19–20 May 2026 was his 25th visit to China and once again confirmed the special nature of our partnership. Following the talks, the two presidents agreed to further extend the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. A substantial package of documents was signed, including Joint Statement on Further Strengthening Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation and Deepening Relations of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation. Joint Declaration on the Formation of Multipolar World and New Type of International Relations was also adopted.

At a press conference on 20 May 2026, according to Chinese President Xi Jinping, relations between the two countries “have reached a historic high of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction in the new age, and are justly regarded as an example of a new type of relations between major powers”. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia-China ties are “self-sufficient, do not depend on the current international situation, and can serve as an example of relations between nations in this age”. 

Shared understanding of our leaders regarding ties between China and  Russia stems from the fundamental principles underpinning the dialogue between our states. These are, first and foremost, peaceful coexistence, common respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit. Both countries recognise the inalienable right of every nation to choose its own social system and path of development, and to preserve its cultural and historical identity and traditional moral values.

China and Russia hold converging positions on key issues facing the international order. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, both countries consistently advocate respect for purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter in their entirety, comprehensiveness and interdependence by all states. Amid growing geopolitical rivalry and international tensions, fuelled by the policies of a number of states with hegemonic and neo-colonial thinking, cooperation between our countries injects valuable certainty into the region and the world and stands as the main stabilising factor in the current state of international relations.

It is essential that the partnership between China and Russia is neither bloc-based nor confrontational and is not directed against third countries. This is precisely what distinguishes our cooperation from military and political alliances of the Cold War era, whose participants are still striving to unilaterally manipulate global affairs, impose their interests on the whole world and restrict the scope for the sovereign development of other countries in a hegemonic and neo-colonial fashion. Such efforts are doomed to fail. The system of international relations in the 21st century is undergoing a profound transformation, evolving towards enduring polycentrism. China and Russia advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world, are actively contributing to the formation of a more just and equitable global governance system based on a balance of interests among all actors.

The preservation of historical memory of the Second World War and its outcomes is particularly important for our countries. The China and USSR suffered enormous losses in the fight against Nazism, fascism and Japanese militarism. The contribution of our peoples to the Victory laid a solid foundation for the post-war world order. We have consistently opposed attempts to revise the outcomes of the WWII, glorify the aggressors, and denounced all forms of historical revisionism.

In this context, tendencies towards the remilitarisation of certain states, expansion of military and political blocs and creation of new lines of confrontation become a cause for our serious concern, as they have the potential to undermine strategic stability both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. China and Russia proceed from the need to strengthen equal and indivisible security, based on the principles of mutual respect and renunciation of coercive policies.

Trade and economic cooperation between China and Russia has demonstrated a high degree of resilience and dynamism, even in the face of adverse external factors. Over the past 25 years our bilateral trade has grown more than 30-fold and has consistently exceeded the US$200 billion threshold for several years running. We intend to develop this cooperation further in accordance with long-term strategic documents, notably the Plan to Promote the Key Elements of Chinese-Russian Economic Cooperation until 2030. A key priority is to ensure reliable protection of bilateral cooperation from negative external influences. This is significantly facilitated by the near-complete transition to transacting only in our national currencies.

Our bilateral agenda includes implementation of large-scale joint projects in energy sector, industry, space, agriculture, transport and logistics. Digital innovations and artificial intelligence technologies are opening up further opportunities for development and are becoming an important area for joint efforts.

People-to-people ties are developing rapidly – in the fields of culture, cinema and sport, as well as in youth and tourist exchanges. The introduction of a reciprocal visa-free regime is helping to expand not only leisure travel but also business and professional contacts. The official launch of the reciprocal Years of China-Russia Cooperation in Education was a landmark event in this regard. This large-scale people-to-people project is designed to give further impetus to academic exchanges, inter-university cooperation and training of personnel in high-tech sectors.

China and Russia continue to coordinate closely within international organisations and multilateral bodies, primarily the UN, the SCO, BRICS and the G20. We consistently advocate for a stronger role of the Global South, improved mechanisms of global governance and a fairer and more sustainable architecture of international relations.

Three decades of our strategic partnership convincingly demonstrate that China-Russia relations have stood the test of time and external pressure. Building on a solid foundation of mutual respect, equality, mutual trust and assistance and economic complementarity, we keep moving forward with confidence – both in developing bilateral cooperation and in jointly shaping a more just and multipolar world order. 

(Co-authoered by H.E.Mr.WU Jianghao, Chinese Ambassador in Japan and H.E.Mr.Nikolay NOZDREV, Russian Ambassador in Japan)