Pioneering partnership

China-Russia relations represent a 21st-century endeavor to forge a new model of international relations

The year 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between the two countries. It also coincides with the launch of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for National Economic and Social Development, a period in which major-power relations will profoundly shape the global landscape. In this context, the evolving partnership between China and Russia carries deep historical and strategic significance for upholding global peace and development.

On Feb 4, a video meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin further underlined this trajectory. The two leaders emphasized that, as responsible major countries and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and Russia are duty-bound to promote international fairness and justice, uphold the outcomes of World War II, and steadfastly safeguard the UN-centered international system and the basic norms of international law, so as to jointly maintain global strategic stability. It was subsequently announced that Putin will pay an official visit to China in the first half of 2026 and attend the APEC economic leaders' summit in Shenzhen in November, highlighting the dynamic and forward-looking nature of bilateral ties.

Comprehensive strategic coordination serves as a defining feature of China-Russia relations. The two countries share a high degree of alignment on major issues such as global multipolarity, economic globalization and the democratization of international relations.

The evolution of China-Russia relations is serving as a driver for geopolitical balance and the transformation of the international order. China and Russia are jointly opposing hegemony, unilateralism, bloc politics and camp-based confrontation. This dynamic is accelerating the shift in the global power center from a maritime-focused orientation to a more balanced land-sea approach, contributing to the restructuring of global and regional strategic landscapes.

Together, these efforts underscore a deliberate shift from a punitive, zero-sum security paradigm to one that champions dialogue, development and shared stability as the true foundations of lasting peace. China and Russia are jointly advancing political resolutions to hotspot issues, prioritizing preventive diplomacy over Western-style sanctions. This collaborative approach is forging a new paradigm for conflict mediation, which in turn is fostering the reconfiguration of global and regional security orders. Through exploring innovative models for providing global and regional security public goods, China and Russia are leveraging non-alliance-based major-power coordination to create strategic space for small — and medium-sized nations. This cooperative framework helps alleviate security dilemmas and prevents the escalation of global and regional arms races.

The strategic partnership between China and Russia is more than a diplomatic alignment; it has matured into a powerful economic engine with a clear strategic direction. Bilateral trade has surpassed $200 billion annually for three consecutive years since 2023. More significantly, their cooperation is systematically reducing reliance on Western financial systems. The pivot to long-term energy contracts settled in local currencies directly weakens the petrodollar's dominance and creates a deeper, self-reinforcing integration of resources, markets and financial infrastructure. Joint efforts in developing cross-border payment systems and digital currencies further reinforce this structural shift.

Beyond trade, the partnership functions as a platform for institutional innovation that contests existing norms. Russia has expressed support for China's Global Governance Initiative, with both sides championing fairness and justice as guiding principles in reshaping the governance landscape. This alignment is expected to further advance a more resilient and inclusive global governance ecosystem. Through in-depth synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, the two countries are enhancing infrastructure connectivity, harmonizing rules and standards, and deepening people-to-people ties with partner nations. These efforts will help ensure the security and stability of global industry and supply chains.

For the Global South, the China-Russia paradigm promotes a narrative of non-predatory development and strategic autonomy. By promoting settlements in local currencies, jointly developing cross-border payment systems and expanding the use of digital currencies, the two countries are contributing to the gradual reconfiguration of the petrodollar system and advancing reforms in global economic and financial governance. This non-predatory development pathway supports a more inclusive and equitable form of economic globalization, offering a practical reference for countries in the Global South in pursuing developmental autonomy.

The China-Russia relationship at its core fosters a system of civilizational dialogue distinct from Western-centric paradigms. Rather than relying on ideological alignment or cultural exclusivity, China and Russia have cultivated a model of engagement defined by strategic autonomy and inclusive solidarity, serving as a bridge among diverse peoples and regions.

This distinct approach is anchored in a rejection of the binary logic that has long governed international politics. Unlike the Anglo-American relations that draw from shared cultural roots, the China-Russia partnership operates on principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties. By consciously moving beyond bloc politics, the two nations deconstruct the simplistic division of the world into allies and adversaries, offering instead a vision of international relations based on mutual respect and functional cooperation rather than ideological conformity.

A critical pillar of this vision is their shared commitment to preserving historical truth and the outcomes of World War II. By jointly commemorating the 80th anniversary of victories in both the Eastern and Western theaters of the anti-fascist struggle, China and Russia asserted a counter-narrative against historical revisionism. This shared historical consciousness grounds their present partnership in a legacy of collective struggle against hegemony and aggression.

Building on this foundation, China and Russia are actively promoting the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity. Their cooperation extends across multilateral platforms, from the deepening influence of BRICS+ and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to constructive roles in the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation mechanism, demonstrating a commitment to strengthening Global South solidarity. Rather than seeking to overthrow existing institutions, they are working within and alongside them to amplify underrepresented voices, thereby fostering a more inclusive and equitable international system.

Entering the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the partnership between China and Russia is poised to deepen further as both nations navigate the complex global challenges. Their coordination will continue to serve as a stabilizing force that prioritizes dialogue over division, equity over exclusion and multilateralism over unilateralism. In advancing a model of international relations that values civilizational diversity and responsible shared governance, China and Russia will continue to uphold the spirit of enduring good-neighborliness, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and contribute to steering the international order toward greater justice and equity.

The author is the deputy secretary-general of the Council on China-Russia Strategic Coordination at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.