Close neighbors helping maintain global peace

China and Russia have strengthened bilateral strategic communication and deepened cooperation, especially to jointly fight the novel coronavirus pandemic and deal with the unprecedented changes in the world.

The Sino-Russian relationship, marked by mutual respect, equity, and win-win results, is an example of a model, new type of international relations, said Zhou Shuchun, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily. Zhou, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks at the "China and Russia: Joint Development and Modernization" International Symposium on June 24.

The symposium was jointly organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development, and China Daily in Beijing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. And more than 60 government officials and experts from the two countries shared their views on Sino-Russian relations at the symposium.

The Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the CASS, and China Watch, a China Daily powered think tank, jointly released the "Russia-Eurasia Studies" Think Tank Report Series at the symposium.

"The report series injected the power of thoughts in boosting high-quality Sino-Russian development, enhancing discourse power, and maintaining global peace and development," Zhou said.

Wang Linggui, vice-president of the CASS, said the think tanks from China and Russia are facing more challenges and hence have to work harder to meet the needs of joint development of the two countries.

Igor Ivanov, president of the Russian International Affairs Council, speaking via video link, said think tanks from the two countries will continue to help strengthen bilateral ties, and take them to a higher level in the new era.

The report was co-written by six scholars from the CASS, who comprehensively evaluated the current situation in the two countries following the COVID-19 pandemic and the prospects of future cooperation between them.

Xie Fuzhan, president of the CASS, said the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation laid a solid political foundation for China-Russian relations for a new era.

The mutual trust, and friendship between China and Russia reflect their mutual respect and adherence to the principle of peaceful co-existence, Xie said. In terms of core interests, including sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, China and Russia provide each other with firm strategic support, keeping in mind each other's core interests. The two sides follow the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third country, promote high-level exchanges and firmly support multilateralism.

Sun Zhuangzhi, director of IREECAS, CASS, said that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia has maintained political and social stability. In general, Russian President Vladimir Putin is capable of controlling the overall situation. But despite Russia focusing on restructuring the system, promoting constitutional reform and introducing a longer-term political plan, the country's macroeconomic situation is not optimistic.

Yet the decline in its economic strength has not stopped Russia from expanding its diplomatic space in all regions, which has consolidated and enhanced its strategic status. The upgrading of Sino-Russian relations is therefore of great importance to Russia's development and stability.

Pang Dapeng, deputy director of IREECAS, CASS, stressed that Russia's support to the Belt and Road Initiative hasn't changed despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Russian academic circles are optimistic about the integration of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union. Based on this, Russia has agreed to further expand trade with China under the principles of openness, transparency and mutual benefit.

Besides, the tremendous changes in Eurasian strategic patterns are significant for China and Russia to actively strengthen trading relations and regional economic cooperation.

Xue Fuqi, head of the Department of Strategic studies of IREECAS, CASS, said there is a regional center-periphery structure in international relations in the Eurasian region, with Russia being at the center and the other countries on the periphery. That's why even after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, the newly independent nations (Commonwealth of Independent States) maintained close ties with Russia.

For China, understanding this structure and relationship is theoretically vital to acquiring a better understanding of the power relations and structure in the region. This will also help China to improve relations with other countries, advance the Belt and Road Initiative and build a community with a shared future for mankind, Xue said.

Xu Poling, head of the Department of Russian economy of IREECAS, CASS, said natural capital, man-made capital, human capital and social capital, among others, are the basic elements behind the economic strength of a country. Although Russia has slipped below the top 10 in world rankings in GDP in US dollar terms apparently because of its dependence on export of energy, this is not the reality of Russia's economic strength.

A misjudgment of Russia's economic strength, based solely on its GDP ranking, will affect the understanding of the country's economic development trend and political pattern, which will lead to a misjudgment in the decision-making process.

And Liu Fenghua, head of the Department of Russian foreign policy of IREECAS, CASS said that although the pandemic restrained China-Russia cooperation in various fields, the high-level strategic cooperation between the two countries has not been compromised. Instead, it has withstood the test of the pandemic.

The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era can withstand the test of challenges and the changing international situation. In the post-COVID-19 period, with coordinated measures to prevent and control the spread of the virus, China and Russia will be able to increase personnel, goods, services and capital exchanges in an orderly manner.

Wang Jing contributed to this article.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.