China, Russia benefit from good neighborliness, win-win cooperation

MOSCOW - China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has continued to deepen, and the fruitful results of pragmatic cooperation have increasingly benefited the two countries and their peoples, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui has said.

The two sides have established a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination based on equality, mutual trust and support, common prosperity and lasting friendship, and have continuously achieved new heights in their bilateral relations, Li told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The diplomat made the remarks ahead of President Xi Jinping's forthcoming state visit to Russia and his attendance at the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"China is ready to work with Russia to implement a series of important consensuses reached by the two heads of state, so as to keep promoting the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, further consolidate the social foundation of the friendship between the two peoples for generations, and facilitate greater development of the bilateral ties," Li said.

The Chinese and Russian governments have agreed to translate their high-level political ties into pragmatic cooperation, the diplomat noted, citing the bilateral trade volume of over $100 billion last year as a positive result of their joint efforts.

"In recent years, China-Russia economic and trade cooperation has seen new breakthroughs both in scale and in quality, with its internal impetus ever growing," Li said, noting that cooperation in the energy sector and infrastructure construction has achieved fruitful results.

Meanwhile, China and Russia have witnessed ever growing trade in agricultural products, and bilateral cooperation in tourism and on the two countries' local levels have also flourished, according to Li.

Li also mentioned that the two countries have established the "Yangtze River-Volga River" and "China's Northeast-Russia's Far East" regional cooperation mechanisms and set up relations between 140 pairs of sister cities and provincial-level regions.

China and Russia will strive for the goal of achieving a trade volume of 200 billion dollars as soon as possible, Li said.

To that end, the two sides will continue to carry out large-scale strategic projects in the fields of energy, aviation, aerospace and infrastructure, and tap the potential in regional cooperation, small and medium-sized enterprises and other fields, he added.

In addition, Li noted that China and Russia have demonstrated the willingness and determination to cooperate under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

Recalling the annual mutual visits by the two heads of state, Li said that support from China and Russia for each other in hosting diplomatic events fully reflects the high level and particularity of their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, and the two countries will hold a series of grand events for celebration.

"It will surely push China-Russia relations in various areas to a new height in history," Li said.