In 2019, at the historic juncture of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia and at a critical moment in the process of changes unseen in a century, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia and jointly made a decision with President Putin to develop the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. This sent a clear signal that China and Russia will lead the construction of a new type of international relations, add positive energy to world stability, and inject new vitality into global development. Sino-Russia relations stand at a new historical starting point and welcome greater opportunities for development.
2019年,在中俄建交70周年的历史节点和世界百年变局的关键当口,习近平主席对俄罗斯进行国事访问,同普京总统共同做出发展中俄新时代全面战略协作伙伴关系的决定,释放出中俄引领构建新型国际关系,为世界稳定增添正能量、为全球发展注入新活力的明确信号。中俄关系站上新的历史起点,迎来更大发展机遇。
New Ideas Open a New Era
新思想开创新时代
A distinctive feature of Sino-Russian relations is the top-level design and strategic guidance of the heads of state. This is also an important assurance that Sino-Russian relations will “remain strong despite thousands of blows” (千磨万击还坚劲). Since the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), President Xi Jinping has set his sights on combining China’s development with the common development of the world, unifying the fundamental interests of the Chinese people with the long-term interests of human society, striving to build benign interactions between China and the world, and forming a new type of relationship between China and the world. In 2013, President Xi Jinping made Russia the first country he visited abroad after assuming the office of President of China. He reached an important consensus with President Putin on the “Four Firm Supports” (四个坚定支持) between China and Russia, which are to firmly support each other in safeguarding the core interests of their countries, to firmly support each other’s development and rejuvenation, to firmly support each other in following a development path that suits their own national conditions, and to firmly support each other in carrying out their own affairs well. They also agreed that China and Russia would jointly urge the world’s major powers to “transcend zero-sum games” (超越零和博弈), practice mutual respect in politics, comprehensive mutual benefit in economics, mutual trust and inclusiveness in security, exchanges and learning from one another in culture, and seeking common ground while reserving differences in ideology, and establish a new type of major-country relationship featuring long-term, stable, and healthy development. Practice has proven that the rapid and healthy development of Sino-Russian relations is inseparable from the meticulous care and strategic guidance of the two heads of state. It is a vivid embodiment and successful practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.
中俄关系的一大鲜明特色是元首顶层设计和战略引领,这也是中俄关系“千磨万击还坚劲”的重要保障。中国共产党十八大以来,习近平主席即着眼于把中国的发展与世界的共同发展结合起来,把中国人民的根本利益与人类社会的长远利益统一起来,努力在中国与世界之间构建良性互动,形成一种新型的中国与世界的关系。2013年,习近平主席就任中国国家主席后将俄罗斯作为首个出访的国家,同普京总统就中俄之间“四个坚定支持”,即坚定支持对方维护本国核心利益、坚定支持对方发展复兴、坚定支持对方走符合本国国情的发展道路、坚定支持对方办好自己的事情达成重要共识,并商定中俄共同推动世界大国“超越零和博弈”,在政治上相互尊重、在经济上全面互利、在安全上互信包容、在文化上交流借鉴、在意识形态上求同存异,建立长期稳定健康发展的新型大国关系。实践证明,中俄关系快速健康发展离不开两国元首的精心呵护和战略引领,是习近平外交思想的生动体现和成功实践。
China and Russia are advocates of an open route of mutual benefit and win-win results. President Xi Jinping proposed the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, which Russia firmly supported. The two heads of state issued a joint statement on the alignment and cooperation between the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union. President Putin came to China as a guest of honor to attend the two sessions of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China and Russia have mutually supported each other’s major international cooperation initiatives and promoted arrangements for mutual interconnection construction and the institutionalization of trade and investment, achieving important results in alignment and cooperation. China and Russia call on the international community to share development opportunities, support the building of an open world economy, maintain the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and promote strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth of the world economy.
中俄是互利共赢开放路线的倡导者。习近平主席提出共建“一带一路”倡议,俄罗斯坚定支持。两国元首就丝绸之路经济带建设同欧亚经济联盟建设对接合作发表联合声明,普京总统作为主宾来华出席了两届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛。中俄相互支持对方提出的重大国际合作倡议、推进互联互通建设和贸易投资制度化安排,对接合作取得重要成果。中俄呼吁国际社会分享发展机遇,支持构建开放型世界经济,维护以世贸组织为核心、以规则为基础的多边贸易体制,反对单边主义和保护主义,推动世界经济强劲、可持续、平衡、包容增长。
China and Russia are pioneers in building a new type of international relations. Peace and stability, development and progress, and mutually beneficial cooperation are the directions of the times. If you cannot keep up with the pace of the times, sooner or later the times will render you obsolete. Over the past 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, through the wind and the rain, the countries have finally discovered a model of state relations that is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and that is non-aligned, non-confrontational, and does not target any third party. Thanks to this, Sino-Russian relations have rapidly grown into the group of major-country relations with “the highest degree of mutual trust, the highest level of coordination, and the greatest strategic value” and have made important contributions to promoting the development and revitalization of the two countries and maintaining world peace, stability, and development. The successful experience of Sino-Russian relations is based on the fact that the two countries adhere to the concepts of mutual respect, fairness and justice, and mutually beneficial cooperation and conform to the trend of the times. The model of Sino-Russian relations shows that as long as members of the international community respect each other, communicate on an equal footing, combine their own interests with the interests of other countries, take joint responsibilities, and handle affairs through consultation, mutually beneficial cooperation can be achieved.
中俄是构建新型国际关系的先行者。和平稳定、发展进步、合作共赢是时代前进的方向。跟不上时代前进的步伐,早晚会被时代淘汰。中俄建交70年来,经历风风雨雨,最终探索出一条符合两国根本利益,不结盟、不对抗、不针对第三方的国家关系模式。得益于此,中俄关系快速成长为“互信程度最高、协作水平最高、战略价值最高”的一组大国关系,为促进两国发展振兴,维护世界和平、稳定、发展作出重要贡献。中俄关系的成功经验,在于两国遵循相互尊重、公平正义、合作共赢理念,顺应了时代潮流。中俄关系模式昭示着,只要国际社会成员相互尊重、平等交往,将本国利益与各国利益结合起来,共同担当,商量着办事,就能够实现合作共赢。
China and Russia are leaders in developing global partnerships. Both China and Russia regard building a comprehensive, multi-level, and three-dimensional global partnership network as a diplomatic policy. The two countries jointly lead the construction of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, actively participate in “BRICS+” cooperation with BRICS nations, and expand platforms for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries. The two countries support each other in the construction of the “Belt and Road” and the “Greater Eurasian Partnership,” building a bridge of cooperation between global and regional integration mechanisms. China and Russia exert an important influence in the G20 and the United Nations and are deeply involved in global governance. The ever-expanding “circle of friends” of China and Russia plays an irreplaceable role in promoting global multi-polarization and economic globalization, coping with global challenges, and maintaining regional and world peace and stability.
中俄是发展全球伙伴关系的领跑者。中俄均将打造全方位、多层次、立体化的全球伙伴关系网络作为外交方针。两国共同引领上海合作组织建设,积极参与金砖国家和“金砖+”合作,为新兴市场和发展中国家合作拓展平台。两国相互支持“一带一路”建设和“大欧亚伙伴关系”建设,在全球范围内和区域一体化机制间搭建合作桥梁。中俄在二十国集团、联合国发挥重要影响,深度参与全球治理。中俄“朋友圈”不断扩大,为推动世界多极化、经济全球化,应对全球性挑战,维护地区和世界和平稳定发挥着不可替代的作用。
China and Russia are fellow travelers in building a community with a shared future for mankind. President Xi Jinping deeply contemplated the future and destiny of mankind and formed an important thought on building a community with a shared future for mankind. In 2013, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, explaining for the first time the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. His speech received high praise from the international community. President Putin maintains a similar philosophy. In his speech at the Valdai Discussion Club in 2017, he pointed out that it is unrealistic to seek to stand alone in the contemporary world and that it is the responsibility of the entire international community to achieve world stability and prosperity. In 2018, President Putin paid a state visit to China, and “promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind” was written into the joint statement of the two heads of state for the first time. This phrase continued to be used in subsequent bilateral political documents and became an important component of Sino-Russian international cooperation. China and Russia are determined to share the same fate with regard to the international community, and the “Sino-Russian combination” has become the most active factor in the transformation of the international system and the most energetic driving force for global governance reform.
中俄是构建人类命运共同体的同路人。习近平主席深刻思考人类前途命运,形成构建人类命运共同体重要思想。2013年,习近平主席在莫斯科国际关系学院发表演讲,首次阐释了人类命运共同体理念,国际社会予以高度评价。普京总统秉持相近理念。他在2017年瓦尔代年会上发表讲话,指出独善其身在当代世界是不现实的追求,实现世界的安定与繁荣是整个国际社会的责任。2018年,普京总统对中国进行国事访问,“推动构建人类命运共同体”首度写入两国元首联合声明,并在以后的双边政治文件中继承延续,成为中俄国际协作的重要内容。中俄两国决心与国际社会同呼吸、共命运,“中俄组合”成为国际体系变革中最积极的因素和推动全球治理改革最活跃的动力。
A New Era Draws a New Vision
新时代绘就新愿景
China and Russia and their two peoples share a common aspiration to push forward Sino-Russian relations to achieve greater development at a high level. In June 2019, President Xi Jinping and President Putin issued a joint statement that endowed Sino-Russian relations with a new position as a “comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era” and made comprehensive plans and deployments for the overall goals, basic principles, and directions of cooperation for the next stage in the development of bilateral relations, drawing a blueprint for the new era.
推动中俄关系在高水平上实现更大发展是中俄两国和两国人民的共同愿望。2019年6月,习近平主席同普京总统发表联合声明,赋予中俄关系“新时代全面战略协作伙伴”新定位,并对两国关系下一阶段发展的总体目标、基本原则、合作方向作出全面规划和部署,描绘了新时代蓝图。
China and Russia will look out for and assist each other. Mutual support is the core value of Sino-Russian relations. In the new era, the two countries will give each other more powerful strategic support and implement the “Four Firm Supports” from start to finish. The two countries will further strengthen cooperation in safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity and in responding to various traditional and new security threats and challenges. Neither country will ever allow any force to use its territory to engage in activities against the other, nor allow any force to interfere in the internal politics of the other.
中俄将守望相助。相互支持是中俄关系的核心价值。新时代,两国将给予对方更富力道的战略支撑,将“四个坚定支持”贯彻始终。两国将进一步加强保障各自主权、安全和领土完整,以及应对各类传统和新型安全威胁与挑战的合作,绝不允许任何势力利用本国领土从事反对对方的活动,绝不允许任何势力干涉两国内政。
China and Russia will be deeply integrated. The two countries will build connections in the five dimensions of policy, infrastructure, trade, capital, and the people’s hearts, closely coordinate and strategically collaborate on national development strategies, and jointly plan cooperation principles, directions, and specific measures in various fields, and achieve common development in an all-round way.
中俄将深度融通。两国将把政策、设施、贸易、资金、民心五个维度打通,就国家发展战略进行密切协调和战略协作,将共同规划各领域合作原则、方向和具体举措,全面实现共同发展。
China and Russia will explore and innovate. The two countries will focus on the requirements of the times and development needs, further tap into the potential and development momentum of bilateral relations, and enhance the “gold content” [Translator’s note;含金量, metaphorically meaning value] of cooperation in various fields. In addition to traditional fields such as economy, trade, energy, and investment, the two countries will carry out long-term strategic consideration and planning, develop new ideas for cooperation, innovate cooperative models, work hard for a long time, continue to promote cooperation, and strive to achieve both economic and social benefits.
中俄将开拓创新。两国将着眼时代要求和发展需求,进一步挖掘两国关系潜力和发展动能,提升各领域合作“含金量”。除经贸、能源、投资等传统领域以外,两国将进行长远战略考虑和规划,打开合作思路,创新合作模式,久久为功,持续推进合作,努力实现经济社会效益双丰收。
China and Russia will work together to achieve inclusive and mutually beneficial outcomes. The two countries will uphold the principle of multilateralism and jointly promote the construction of a new type of international relations and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. In international affairs, the two countries will contribute their wisdom as major powers, play their role as major powers, and assume their responsibilities as major powers. Relying on extensive international cooperation, they will firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, promote the reform of the global governance system, promote world peace and stability and sustainable economic development, and safeguard the common interests of mankind.
中俄将协力践行普惠共赢。两国将秉持多边主义原则,共同推动建设新型国际关系、构建人类命运共同体。两国将在国际事务中贡献大国智慧、发挥大国作用、承担大国责任,依托广泛国际合作,坚定维护以联合国为核心的国际体系和以国际法为基础的国际秩序,推进全球治理体系改革,促进世界和平稳定和经济可持续发展,维护人类共同利益。
A New Vision Generates New Momentum
新愿景产生新动力
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In 2020, China and Russia will work hard to open a new era of bilateral relations. When President Xi Jinping and President Putin exchanged New Year’s messages of well wishes, they proposed the development goals for bilateral relations this year, namely, to guide the all-round cooperation between the two countries to a new level and to help boost the development and revitalization of China and Russia. This year, China and Russia will launch the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation and jointly celebrate the 75th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. The two sides will go all out to transform the leaders’ consensus into fruitful cooperation results and benefit the two peoples.
千里之行,始于足下。2020年,中俄双方将努力为新时代双边关系开好局。习近平主席和普京总统互致新年贺电时,提出了今年双边关系发展目标,即引领两国全方位合作迈上新台阶,为中俄各自发展振兴助力增势。今年,中俄将启动科技创新年,将共同庆祝世界反法西斯战争胜利暨联合国成立75周年,双方将全力以赴,将领导人共识转化为丰硕合作成果,造福两国人民。
Sino-Russian relations have four key points of interest this year.
今年的中俄关系有四大看点。
The first is the strengthening of political mutual trust. China and Russia will uphold the guidance provided by head of state diplomacy, use institutional exchanges as the starting point, and use multilateral mechanisms as the platform to carry out “back-to-back” and “shoulder-to-shoulder” multi-dimensional strategic cooperation in an all-round manner. Both China and Russia insist on making the development of Sino-Russian relations a priority direction in their diplomacy and steadfastly support each other in their respective revitalization and strengthening. In the face of various tricks of hegemonic countries aimed at the containment, suppression, sanctions, bullying, interference, alienation, and smearing of China and Russia, the two countries will unswervingly reinforce bilateral relations, strengthen communication and coordination, support each other, and jointly respond to threats and challenges.
一看政治互信愈加牢固。中俄将坚持以元首外交为引领,机制性交往为抓手,多边机制为平台,开展“背靠背”、“肩并肩”多维度全面战略协作。中俄均坚持把发展中俄关系作为本国外交优先方向,坚定相互支持对方振兴和强大。面对霸权主义国家针对中俄遏制、打压、制裁、霸凌、干涉、离间、抹黑的种种伎俩,两国将坚定不移巩固双边关系,加强沟通协调,相互策应支持,共同应对威胁与挑战。
Since the beginning of the year, in the face of the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, China and Russia have joined hands to deal with the situation and political mutual trust has become stronger. President Putin expressed his firm support for China’s fight against the epidemic by sending messages of condolences to President Xi Jinping, making phone calls, and making public statements. The governments of the two countries provided urgently needed medical supplies to each other in a timely manner according to the development of the epidemic situation. The two sides also dispatched expert groups to each other to exchange anti-epidemic experience. Anti-epidemic cooperation has become a vivid manifestation of the high level and special nature of Sino-Russian relations.
年初以来,面临突如其来的新冠肺炎疫情,中俄携手合作应对,政治互信愈加牢固。普京总统通过向习近平主席致慰问电、打电话、公开发声等形式表达对中国抗疫的坚定支持。两国政府根据疫情形势发展及时向对方援助急需的医疗物资。双方还互派专家组交流抗疫经验。抗疫合作成为中俄关系高水平和特殊性的生动体现。
The second is the continuous deepening of the integration of interests. The two sides will expand the alignment and cooperation of the “Belt and Road” with the Eurasian Economic Union and the “Greater Eurasian Partnership” construction, especially in the building of a new pattern of interconnection. China and Russia will use the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation as an opportunity to strengthen joint research in scientific and technological (S&T) innovation, strive to achieve new breakthroughs in cutting-edge fields such as big science, big data, artificial intelligence, and 5G, promote the implementation of projects in fields such as aviation, aerospace, smart manufacturing, and energy integration, actively carry out technical exchanges and industrial cooperation, and jointly enhance Chinese and Russian competitive advantages.
二看利益交融不断深化。双方将拓展“一带一路”同欧亚经济联盟、“大欧亚伙伴关系”建设对接合作,特别是打造互联互通新格局。中俄将以科技创新年为契机,加强科技创新联合攻关,力争在大科学、大数据、人工智能、5G等前沿领域取得新突破,推动航空、航天、智能制造、能源一体化等领域项目落地,积极开展技术交流和产业合作,共同提升中俄竞争优势。
The third is cooperation to defend fairness and justice. As key forces in defeating fascism and maintaining the post-war international order, China and Russia will jointly call on the international community to remember history, cherish peace, and safeguard the hard-won fruits of victory. The two countries will actively participate in commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, unswervingly safeguard the authority of the United Nations, support the strengthening of the role of the United Nations, safeguard multilateralism, defend international fairness and justice, and contribute advice and efforts to the improvement of global governance.
三看携手捍卫公平正义。中俄作为战胜法西斯和维护战后国际秩序的关键力量,将共同呼吁国际社会铭记历史、珍惜和平,维护来之不易的胜利成果。两国将积极参与纪念联合国成立75周年活动,坚定不移维护联合国权威,支持加强联合国作用,维护多边主义,捍卫国际公平正义,就完善全球治理献计献力。
The fourth is the continuation of the friendship between the peoples into a new chapter. The Chinese and Russian people once forged an unbreakable friendship by giving their blood and lives in the joint struggle against fascist aggression. In the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, the friendship between the two countries has once again risen to such heights. Russian mainstream media continue to publish reports and articles supporting China’s fight against the epidemic, give high ratings to China’s positive efforts and important achievements in fighting the epidemic, and express firm confidence and support for Wuhan and the entire Chinese people to overcome the epidemic. Russian friends from all walks of life have spontaneously recorded videos to support the anti-epidemic actions of the Chinese people through online platforms. The message from the Russian people is “China, keep it up!” “Wuhan, keep it up!” These voices never cease, and they are deeply moving. The Moscow Zoo and Russian children actively participated in the online and offline publicity campaign “Quarantine the virus, but don’t quarantine love,” and the Russian artist Gelman presented the oil painting Line of Destiny to the Chinese Embassy in Russia, which symbolizes the strong mutual assistance between the two countries… The Chinese people reciprocated and expressed their firm support for Russia’s fight against the epidemic in various ways. Heilongjiang and other neighboring Chinese provinces and cities have provided assistance to various places in Russia through sister city channels, and Chinese companies such as Alibaba have provided urgently needed protective supplies to Russia. Face-to-face interaction fosters closer relations, and neighbors look out for each other’s safety and well-being. These two great neighboring countries, these two great nations, have been on friendly terms for generations. They watch out for and assist each other. There is no higher virtue!
四看人民友谊续谱新篇。中俄人民曾在共同抗击法西斯侵略的斗争中以鲜血和生命铸就牢不可破的友谊。在抗击新冠肺炎疫情这场没有硝烟的斗争中,两国友谊再次升华。俄主流媒体持续刊发支持中国抗疫的报道和文章,高度评价中国抗疫的积极努力和重要成果,表达对武汉及全中国人民战胜疫情的坚定信心和支持。俄社会各界友好人士纷纷自发录制视频,通过网络平台声援中国全民抗疫行动,来自俄民众的“中国,加油!”“武汉,加油!”声音不绝于耳,令人感怀至深。莫斯科动物园和俄罗斯的小朋友们踊跃参加“隔离病毒,但不隔离爱”线上线下宣传活动、俄艺术家盖尔曼向中国驻俄使馆赠送寓意两国坚强互助的油画《命运之线》……中国人民投桃报李,通过各种方式向俄方抗疫表达坚定支持。黑龙江等毗邻省份及中国其他省市纷纷通过友城渠道向俄各地方提供援助,阿里巴巴等中方企业向俄方援助急需的防护物资。亲望亲好,邻望邻安。两大邻国,两个伟大民族,世代友好,守望相助,善莫大焉!
Sino-Russian relations in the new era have accumulated rich experience, been guided by advanced ideas, have a solid foundation of public opinion, possess strong endogenous power, and conform to the development trend of the times. They will surely continue to climb new historical heights, set a benchmark for contemporary international relations, and contribute to the cause of human progress.
新时代中俄关系,有丰富经验积淀,有先进思想指引,有深厚民意基础,具备强大内生动力,顺应时代发展潮流,必将不断攀登新的历史高度,为当代国际关系树立标杆,为人类进步事业作出贡献。