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Ambassador: substantive progress in 2005 Russia-China ties
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-21 09:06
Russia-China relations have seen comprehensive and substantive progress in
2005, Russian Ambassador to China Sergey Razov said Tuesday.
Razov told a press conference that the political relationship between the two
countries has moved forward smoothly.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao met with
each other for four times within a single year. The tenth regular meeting of the
two prime ministers of Russia and China was held in Beijing. Frequent high-level
mutual visits were conducted between the the top legislatures of the two
countries.
"The high-level mutual visits between the two sides have enhanced the
personal friendship, mutual trust and understanding between the top leaders of
the two countries," said Razov.
The ambassador noted that the kick-off of bilateral talks on strategic
security is a shining component of the overall substantive achievement. The
talks offer both countries a channel to address issues concerning world and
regional security.
Cooperation has been developing rapidly in the areas of economics and trade,
Razov said, acknowledging that the bilateral trade volume is expected to total
29 billion U.S. dollars by the end of this year, up by 33 percent over 2004.
China is likely to become the second largest trading partner to Russia.
China and Russia share a 4,300-km-long border. During talks in Vladivostok in
June this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and his Russian
counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, exchanged ratification documents over the eastern
border, putting an end to 40 years of negotiation.
"This is a historic achievement," Razov told the press. The field demarcation
work will be finished in next two to three years, he said.
The sound cooperation between the two militaries also bore witness of a
deeper Russia-China relationship. In August 2005, the two armed forces launched
their first-ever joint military drill.
"The joint military exercise demonstrates the determination and confidence of
the two partners to safeguard the peace and stability of the region and the
world at large," the ambassador said.
Razov said that at the same time, Russia and China have further strengthened
their coordination on international and regional topics, such as the United
Nations reform and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. The two also cooperated
with each other closely and effectively within the framework of Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Meanwhile, fruits were also obtained in personnel entry management, science
and technology and culture. "In a word, the bilateral ties are in very good
shape," Razov said.
The Russia Year in China scheduled for 2006 and the China Year in Russia for
2007 were declared in a joint statement during President Putin's visit to China
last year. The two goodwill programs will cover a wide spectrum of areas
including culture, education, economy, political systems and traditional
customs.
Razov said Russia has offered China a report on the detailed arrangements of
the upcoming Russia Year, including more than 250 programs, such as a cultural
festival, an exhibition and a ceremony marking the anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic ties.
Razov said that in 2007, relevant activities concerning Chinese culture will
also be held in Russia. More and more Russian people now are increasingly
interested in Chinese culture and work hard to learn Chinese language, which is
regarded as an essential tool to find a good job for Russian people nowadays.
"The large-scale cultural exchanges between Russia and China will be
conducive for the people of both countries to increase mutual understanding and
would make an important contribution to the further growth of Russia-China
relations," the ambassador said.
According to the ambassador, President Putin will visit China in March next
year. The two heads of states will attend the opening ceremony of the Russia
Year in China, and will hold talks on bilateral relations and a wide range of
issues. President Putin will also attend the SCO Summit in Shanghai next June.
"I hope that Russia-China relations will continue enjoying stable
development, in a bid to benefit the people of both countries," Razov said.
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