Xi-Putin meet shows value of countries’ ties
President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Da Nang, Vietnam. The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is one of the key pillars that have made the greatest contribution to supporting the current international order.
China-Russia ties have developed steadily in recent years. The two countries have created a lot of impact on major issues through their strategic cooperation amid the complicated international environment. But the way some people in China see Russia has been deeply influenced by Western public opinion and they fail to understand the value of China-Russia relations.
Some in China believe that all that matters is China’s relations with the US and the West. They believe that Russia is unreliable and keen on finding fault with China. This perception is ideological thinking. Such a voice is marginal in China.
China-Russia relations remain firm. The two nations have developed a high level of political trust and the mechanism for the regular exchange of visits between leaders of the two countries. Heads of the two countries would hold bilateral meetings on almost all occasions when they are both present. The two countries also coordinate more closely on major international issues, and military exchanges between the two nations have also been continuously enhanced. Bilateral trade may not be that impressive but the prospects are good.
But the two countries still need to work harder on many fronts especially on enhancing people-to-people exchanges. Compared with elements from Western, Japanese and Korean culture, cultural elements from Russia are rarely found in China. Young Chinese have little knowledge of what are considered popular among the Russian youth and Internet.
The situation should change. The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination needs to be substantiated through enhanced people-to-people exchanges. Strategic cooperation between the two countries has far-reaching significance. Their comprehensive strategic partnership has become a valuable strategic asset to both countries.
Given that the West does not like to see closer ties between China and Russia, with many channels for the West to exert influence on people in Chinese and Russian society, it makes more sense for China and Russia to consolidate their comprehensive strategic partnership. The top leaders of the two nations have set an example in advancing cooperation between their countries, and key members of the two societies should keep abreast with the times and live up to the expectations of the era.