Xi's Russia visit goes beyond trade

President Xi Jinping will attend Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9 to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War. And for the first time a unit of the People's Liberation Army will take part in a parade in Russia.

Xi started his Eurasia tour on Thursday with a visit to Kazakhstan, from where he flies to Russia and then Belarus. His visit to Russia is seen by many as a huge political support to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has been suffering the effects of Western economic sanctions and political maneuverings for its involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

Leaders from more than 20 countries will also be present at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, driving home the point that non-Western economies now have a greater say in world affairs.

The end of World War II marked the beginning of another war, the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, the postwar superpowers. And some observers say a similar situation could arise if China and Russia form a military alliance to challenge the US.

But such a development is not possible because neither Beijing nor Moscow is willing to wreck the world order at the cost of global cooperation and peace. Moreover, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership is designed to protect the legal interests of emerging and developing countries, not to forge any form of anti-West alliance.

Russia's Victory Day parade is not only a time to remember the sufferings and sacrifices of all the Allied countries in WWII, but also a wake-up call against former fascist forces to heed the lessons of history and for peace-lovers to stay dedicated to their cause. In this sense, deepening China-Russia cooperation is conducive to the two countries' time-honored friendship and rising call for peace and multi-polarization.

To realize the great potential of bilateral economic exchanges, Beijing and Moscow have to cooperate closely and smoothly. The bilateral trade volume is expected to reach $100 billion this year, a goal that was almost achieved last year (more than $95 billion). Sino-Russian cooperation, as Xi emphasized at his meeting with Putin in Shanghai a year ago, should value quantity as well as quality in trade, energy, finance, aerospace and other exchanges.