Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang briefed the media on Wednesday on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Russia this week.
Xi’s visit caught worldwide attention and was widely regarded as a major and far-reaching event in global geopolitics, Qin said.
Xi’s trip also demonstrated China’s global image as a peace builder, and manifested China’s role and responsibility as a major country, Qin noted, adding that it would bring more stability to the complex international situation and help build a multipolar world and push for more democratic international relations.
During the visit, Xi and Russian President Vladimir held in-depth strategic discussions on relevant major issues, Qin said, noting that Xi had stressed that China pursued an independent foreign policy of peace, and had always made its own judgements independently based on the merits of the matter.
China and Russia, Qin said, should work together to steer and promote global governance in a direction that met the expectations of the international community and promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Qin recalled that Xi first proposed the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind during a speech delivered at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations 10 years ago, and that over the past decade, this vision had gained resonance and support from a growing number of countries.
The principal contradiction in today’s world was not a so-called “democracy versus autocracy” played up by a handful of countries, but a struggle between development and containment of development, and between global justice and power politics, Qin said. He noted that faced with rising unilateralism and hegemonism, it was all the more valuable for China and Russia to consolidate and strengthen strategic co-ordination.
Qin said China and Russia were committed to promoting a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations, which met the demand for upholding international equity and justice, and fit in well with building a community with a shared future for mankind.
It represented the right direction of the progress of the times and the development of history, and was beyond the scope of bilateral relations and of global significance, he added.
The high level of mutual trust between the two heads of state provided strategic guidance and a strong political guarantee for a comprehensive, strategic China-Russia partnership of co-ordination for a new era, Qin said.
Putin and Xi held sincere, friendly and fruitful talks, said Qin. The prime minister, the deputy prime ministers and almost all cabinet members of the Russian Federation participated in relevant activities, he added.
The Russian side has repeatedly said that Xi’s choosing Russia as his first foreign visit destination following his re-election as Chinese president reflected the special nature of Russia-China relations in the new era and had historical significance for the future development of the bilateral relationship, Qin said.
Russia looked forward to close co-ordination and co-operation with the new Chinese government, strengthening exchanges in various fields and at all levels, and promoting new and greater development in practical co-operation in areas like trade, investment, energy and cross-border transport as well as in people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two sides, he added.
During the visit, Xi and Putin signed the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Co-ordination for the New Era, and a Joint Statement of the President of the People’s Republic of China and the President of the Russian Federation on Pre-2030 Development Plan on Priorities in China-Russia Economic Co-operation, making plans and arrangements for the development of bilateral relations and co-operation in several fields in the next stage, Qin said.
The two sides signed a number of bilateral co-operation documents in the fields of agriculture, forestry, basic science, market oversight and media, he said.
Both countries reiterated that they would continue to support each other on issues involving each other’s core interests and jointly resist attempts of interference by external forces in internal affairs, he added.
Just as Xi had stressed, consolidating and developing China-Russia relations was a strategic choice made by Beijing based on China’s own fundamental interests and the general trend of world development, which would not be changed or swayed because of a particular moment or event, Qin said.
Facing the new circumstances, China and Russia were committed to promoting their comprehensive strategic partnership of co-ordination, which would not only benefit the people of the two countries, but also make new contributions to human development and progress, Qin said.
During Xi’s visit, the two heads of state had a candid and in-depth exchange on the Ukraine crisis, Qin added.
Xi pointed out that as long as all parties embraced the vision of common, comprehensive, co-operative and sustainable security, and pursued equal-footed, rational and results-oriented dialogue and consultation, they would find a reasonable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis.
The Russian side reaffirmed its commitment to resuming peace talks as soon as possible, and welcomed China’s willingness to play a positive role for the political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
President Xi’s visit is a historic journey of friendship, co-operation and peace, and another successful practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, Qin said.
* This article was originally published by CGTN.