Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held an interview with RIA Novosti before his official visit to Moscow, where he discussed the special role of Moscow and Beijing in maintaining peace, the nuclear disarmament and who should take the lead in reducing such weapons. He also touched upon the prospects of a solution to the Ukraine conflict and the ability of the Russians to consolidate in a critical moment.
How would you comment on the Sino-Russian relations? Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the relations between China and Russia have reached the highest level in history. Is it still possible to elevate the level of partnership and strategic cooperation?
I fully agree with the fair and accurate assessment of President Putin. As the two largest neighboring countries, world powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, we bear a special responsibility for maintaining world peace and development. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, the partnership and strategic interaction between China and Russia have been continuously deepening, which not only conforms to the logic of history but also demonstrates the strong self-reliance of bilateral relations. This enables us to live in peace, harmony and common prosperity and promotes the formation of a multipolar world and the democratization of international relations.
The Sino-Russian relations are characterized by three features. The first is “friends forever, never enemies”. Our relations are based on the continuous generalization of historical experiences and the learning from the lessons of the past. The leaders of the two countries have made the historical decision to “close the past and open the future” with their own political foresight. The principle of “friends forever, never enemies” enshrined in the Sino-Russian Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation serves as a solid legal basis for the promotion of strategic cooperation at a higher level. As it is said, “near neighbors are like family members, wishing each other well”. With the right strategic perception of each other, we have found a long-term way of coexistence that matches our common interests. In more than 70 years of joint development, China and Russia have built a strong mutual trust and the relations between us have deep roots, a rich content and a strong resilience.
The second is equality and a mutually beneficial cooperation. China and Russia have adopted the principles of equality, mutual benefit and complementary advantages as the basis for bilateral cooperation since the early 1990s. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the principle of cooperation and mutual benefit has become the guiding principle for the practical cooperation between the two countries in all fields. Following the trend of the times and taking into account the legitimate interests of each other, we have continuously promoted the all-round cooperation and strengthened the common interests. After several decades, the Sino-Russian relations have today reached a new level of quality and scope. The cooperation has not only reached a high level but is also accessible to the ordinary people, bringing real and tangible benefits to the people of the two countries and also of great benefit to other countries in the world.
The third is the alliance-free, non-confrontational and non-directive nature of our relations, which are not directed against