Good neighbors, friends and partners respect lessons of the past as they look to build future: China Daily editorial

For China, Russia is not only a major power but a neighbor, friend and partner that shares weal and woe and a border that spans more than 4,300 kilometers.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping said on his arrival for a state visit, Russia and China cannot move away from one another, they are good neighbors that have successfully explored the correct way for major countries to get along with each other, creating a new era of China-Russia strategic cooperation featuring the spirit of good-neighborliness, comprehensive strategic cooperation, and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The independent, mature and tenacious China-Russia relationship has brought great benefits to the people of the two countries.  

And under the strategic guidance of President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two countries have continuously deepened their strategic partnership, which possesses a strong endogenous driving force.

In a further sign of the two countries' complementary advantages, and vast potential and space that exists for the two sides to deepen their practical cooperation, the two countries signed a series of economic and trade cooperation agreements during Xi's visit that are set to inject even more vibrant energy into the development of bilateral relations.

Major-country and neighborhood diplomacy are twin pillars of China's diplomatic work in the new era, it is thus natural that China should give importance to its relations with Russia.

Those standing on the right side of history and the side of fairness and justice can clearly see that the strengthening of the Sino-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership is conducive to safeguarding the practice of true multilateralism and the legitimate aspirations of the Global South.

China and Russia are both major countries with significant influence in the world. By enhancing their ability to coordinate with each other to respond to the challenges of the times, they can help the world address the peace, development, security and governance deficits that have become such pressing problems.

Humankind has come to a crossroads of unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win cooperation or zero-sum games. By drawing on the lessons to be learned from the great victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, and working together to resolutely resist all forms of hegemonism and power politics, the international community can uphold both the principles and the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

Both China and Russia bear the historical memory and truth in mind, believing that instead of fading with the passage of time, they should serve as a mirror for the present and an inspiration for the future.

The Sino-Russian relationship is neither directed against nor subject to the will of any third party. By solidifying the fundamentals for economic, trade and energy cooperation, exploring the potential for cooperation in areas such as scientific and technological innovation and green development, and fostering new growth drivers for cooperation, the two countries can create more opportunities for their joint revitalization and inject greater momentum into global development.

As Xi urged, the two countries should deepen their mutual trust to leverage the certainty and resilience of their partnership so as to strengthen their strategic coordination on the world stage.

This would provide a more solid guarantee for the shift toward a multipolar world and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, which in turn would enable the world to better withstand the many challenges that are accumulating.