China, Russia make new achievements in strategic coordination, practical cooperation

MOSCOW - Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video link on Wednesday, another virtual conference this year following the one in June.

Since the beginning of this year, China and Russia have taken the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation as a new starting point to promote strategic coordination and comprehensive practical cooperation between the two countries.

A series of new achievements have been made in the fields of politics, economy and trade, science and technology, energy and the military.

The heads of state have maintained frequent and close contacts in 2021. In May, Xi and Putin witnessed the ground-breaking ceremony of a bilateral nuclear energy cooperation project via video link.

In June, the presidents met via video link to jointly announce the extension of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.

In July, Xi sent a message of condolence to Putin over the crash of a Russian passenger plane. In August, the leaders held a phone conversation to discuss bilateral ties and the Afghan situation.

With China being Russia's top trading partner for many consecutive years, their bilateral trade exceeded $100 billion in 2018 for the first time and has maintained the momentum despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first 10 months of this year, China-Russia trade in goods reached a record of $115.6 billion, topping the whole-year volume of 2020, official statistics showed.

In March, China and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly establishing an international scientific research station on the moon.

The China-Russia Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation concluded last month, which saw more than 1,000 events for exchanges on scientific innovation and cooperation.

The No 7 and No 8 units of the Tianwan nuclear power plant and the No 3 and No 4 units of the Xudapu nuclear power plant started construction in May, which are the biggest China-Russia joint project in the field of nuclear energy.

A joint military exercise between China and Russia, named ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021, was carried out in northwest China. The two navies conducted their first joint maritime cruise, and the two air forces carried out their third joint strategic aerial patrol.

The two militaries strengthened coordination via participating in the "Peace Mission 2021" counter-terrorism military drill of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states and the International Army Games 2021.

As comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, China and Russia firmly support each other on major issues concerning each other's core interests, coordinate closely on international affairs, and play a pivotal role in maintaining global peace and stability, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui has said.