Foreign and Military Affairs

Treaty pushes China-Russia ties to new heights

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-07-04 20:56

BEIJING - Bilateral ties between China and Russia have reached a new height thanks to a treaty signed 10 years ago, Assistant Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping said Monday.

"Guided by the spirit of the treaty, Sino-Russian relations have reached an all-time high," Cheng said at a seminar in Beijing marking the 10th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation. The treaty was signed in Moscow on July 16, 2001.

The signing of the treaty is an important landmark in the development of the bilateral ties, Cheng said, adding that China and Russia have made remarkable progress in boosting their political trust over the past decade.

In 2004, China and Russia inked an additional treaty over their eastern border, putting an end to 40 years of negotiations over their 4,300-km-long border and getting rid of the biggest hindrance to the development of the bilateral relationship.

"The two sides support each other firmly on their national sovereignty, security, development and other issues concerning core interests," Cheng said.

Economically, two-way trade between China and Russia has increased seven-fold from some $8 billion in 2000 to nearly 60 billion dollars in 2010.

The two sides have carried out a number of large-scale cooperative projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure, and science and technology.

The bilateral ties also enjoy a sound grass-roots foundation, said the assistant foreign minister.

China hosted the "Year of Russia" in 2006 and "Year of Russian Language" in 2009, while Russia held celebrations marking the "Year of China" in 2007 and "Year of Chinese Language" in 2010.

People-to-people exchanges have witnessed rapid development, with more than 3 million Chinese and Russians currently visiting each other's country every year.

The two countries have also made substantial achievements on the world stage as they coordinate their stances closely on international and regional issues, Cheng said.

In joint efforts, China and Russia have initiated the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICs and other cooperative mechanisms, Cheng said, adding that the two countries also held similar stances on reform of the United Nations and the international financial system.

The cooperation between the two countries is extremely conducive to building a multipolar world and a fairer international order, and benefits world peace and stability, according to the assistant foreign minister.