President Hu Jintao Answers Written Questions from Kazakh and Russian Media

On June 10, 2011, before his state visit to Kazakhstan and Russia, Chinese President Hu Jintao received questions in writing from Kazakhstan’s Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, Egemen Qazaqstan and Khabar Agency as well as Russia’s Rossiiskaya Gazeta, ITAR-TASS and Interfax; on China-Kazakhstan and China-Russia relations and the current international situation.

On China-Kazakhstan relations and the current status and prospects of bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology, culture and education, Hu said China-Kazakhstan relations have maintained sound momentum in healthy and stable development with concerted efforts from both sides since the two countries established diplomatic ties nearly 20 years ago. In particular, bilateral relations have grown rapidly since the establishment of the China-Kazakhstan strategic partnership in July 2005. The two countries enjoy close high-level exchanges and ever-increasing political mutual trust.

President Hu has met with President Nursultan Nazarbayev on many occasions. The two countries have completely solved a historical border issue, signed the China-Kazakhstan Treaty of Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation, formulated the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Strategy in the 21st Century and established a vice prime minister-level inter-governmental cooperation committee. Work has been carried out on improving the legal foundation of the bilateral strategic partnership. Bilateral pragmatic cooperation has achieved impressive results. Cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, finance, energy, transportation, science, technology, culture and education has grown deeply. The China-Kazakhstan oil and natural gas pipeline project has been completed and put into operation. A large number of cooperation projects in non-resource fields are being implemented steadily. Bilateral trade volume in 2010 reached $20.4 billion, growing more than 50-fold from that when the two countries established diplomatic ties.

The sustained development of bilateral pragmatic cooperation has brought about tangible benefits to the two countries and their people. The two sides firmly support each other on major issues related to the core interests of each side and cooperate effectively in fighting against terrorism, extremism and separatism, drug trafficking and cross-border organized crime. Bilateral cultural and educational cooperation is expanding stably, social exchanges growing dynamically and friendly cooperation in the border area is strong. The concept of “lasting peace and friendship from generation to generation” is deeply rooted in both countries and the traditional friendship between the two peoples keeps growing. The two countries coordinate and collaborate closely under multilateral frameworks such as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, which helps safeguard and promote peace, stability and development in the region and the world at large. China is satisfied with the current development of bilateral relations and full of confidence in their future growth.

Hu said China and Kazakhstan are friendly neighbors and key strategic partners and both are members of the SCO. To develop a stable and all-round China-Kazakhstan strategic partnership in the long run is the shared aspiration of the Chinese and the Kazakh people and serves the immediate and long-term interest of both countries. China attaches great importance to developing relations with Kazakhstan and is committed to deepening bilateral friendly cooperation at all levels and in various fields, and stepping up bilateral relations. Both China and Kazakhstan are implementing new five-year development plans, which will create new opportunities to the development of bilateral relations. China expects to work with Kazakhstan to continue to enhance good-neighborly friendship, deepen mutual trust, improve cooperative mechanisms, and strengthen pragmatic cooperation in trade and economy, energy and the non-resource fields. As well, multilateral coordination and security cooperation will intensify. These factors will lift the bilateral strategic partnership to new levels in line with the principles of mutual respect, equal treatment and mutual benefit.

Answering questions about his expectations of the visit to Kazakhstan and the outcomes to be achieved, Hu said he was looking forward to holding talks with President Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Masimov during the visit. He would review the history and achievements of the development of China-Kazakhstan relations over the past 20 years, plan the next stage of development of bilateral strategic partnership and put forward new targets and tasks of bilateral pragmatic cooperation together with Kazakh leaders. He said he hoped to exchange in-depth views with Kazakh leaders on the development of the SCO, the situation in Central Asia and other major regional and international issues of common concern. During the visit, the two sides would release a joint political document and relevant departments and entrepreneurs of both countries will sign a number of important cooperation documents on trade and economy, finance and environmental protection. Hu said he had every reason to believe the visit, with the joint efforts of both sides, would achieve full success and inject vigor into the sustained, stable and all-round development of China-Kazakhstan relations.

On the issues to be discussed with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during his visit to Russia, Hu said he would pay a state visit to Russia and attend the 15th St Petersburg International Economic Forum at the invitation of President Medvedev. During the visit, he will hold talks with President Medvedev and meet with Prime Minister Putin. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral relations face new opportunities. He will review with Medvedev and Putin the achievements and experience of the development of bilateral relations since the signing of the treaty 10 years ago, define the direction of bilateral relations within the next 10 years and develop plans to promote bilateral cooperation in all fields. He will also exchange in-depth opinions with Russian leaders on major regional and international issues of common concern. He believes the visit would add strength to the sustained, healthy and stable progress of the China-Russia strategic partnership in the second decade of the new century.

Answering a question on the current development of China-Russia relations, Hu said bilateral relations have been growing comprehensively, healthily and rapidly since the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation 10 years ago and had reached an unprecedented high level. The two countries have set up comprehensive high-level exchange mechanisms and leaders of both sides meet frequently. The border issue left over from history between the two countries has been solved completely. The two sides support each other firmly on sovereignty, security, development and other issues concerning their core interest and are strengthening political and strategic mutual trust. Bilateral pragmatic cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, energy, science and technology and at local levels remains fruitful, which has brought real benefits to the people of China and Russia, and promoted the rejuvenation and development of both countries.

China and Russia have held various exchange events such as the Year of Youth Friendship, the Year of China in Russia, the Year of Russia in China, the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia and the Year of the Russian Language in China. The two countries cooperate with each other dynamically in the fields of education, culture, health, sports, media and tourism. Each year, there are more than 3 million personnel exchanges between China and Russia, enabling the two peoples to understand each other better and consolidate their friendship. China and Russia maintain close strategic collaboration in major regional and international affairs, which helps protect their shared interests, and promote world multipolarity and democracy in international relations.

Hu said the China-Russia strategic partnership will be strengthened and will achieve greater progress under the guidance of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation with the joint efforts from both sides during the next 10 years. Such a partnership will bring greater benefits to the two peoples and make due contributions to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and the world at large.

Concerning the prospects of China-Russia trade and economic cooperation and wider cooperation on investment, Hu said thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, China-Russia trade and economic cooperation had successfully overcome the impact of the global financial crisis and recovered quickly and comprehensively. The quality of China-Russia trade and economic cooperation had clearly been improved. In 2010, bilateral trade volume approached $60 billion. China has become Russia’s biggest trade partner. Bilateral investment and technological cooperation accelerated significantly and border and regional cooperation is growing vigorously. Both China and Russia are key emerging markets and strategic partners, and their trade and economic cooperation enjoys a promising future and huge potential. The two sides should fully tap their advantages to expand trade volume, improve the quality of trade and economic cooperation and make this cooperation grow soundly and rapidly.

Hu said in November last year President Medvedev had proposed the target of achieving $100 billion of bilateral trade within the next three to five years. Judged by the current development momentum, it would be fully possible to achieve the target. The two sides are setting a target for bilateral trade for the next decade. China expects to cooperate with Russia to continue to deepen economic exchanges and enhance the quantity and quality of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Hu said mutual investment between China and Russia has been growing relatively fast in recent years and the number of investment, economic and technological cooperation projects is on the rise. The two countries approved the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Plan and the Northeast China-Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia Regional Cooperation Plan (2009-18) in 2009. For the next step, the two sides should focus on key projects, strengthen local cooperation, improve mechanisms, make innovations in approaches to cooperation, as well as enrich the content, tap the potential and enhance the level of cooperation. While continuing cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, processing and manufacturing, the two countries should explore opportunities in new and hi-tech, infrastructure construction, logistics, transportation and electronic information and constantly optimize investment structure. The financial institutions of both sides should be encouraged to play a bigger role to create a better financing environment for bilateral cooperation projects.

Answering a question on China-Russia energy cooperation, Hu said China actively takes part in the development of the international energy market and has participated in multi-level cooperation with relevant countries in recent years. Those activities help increase the global energy supply, and maintain the stability and safe supply of the global energy market.

Hu said China speaks highly of energy cooperation with Russia. It is a major part of China-Russia trade and economic cooperation and a key component of the China-Russia strategic partnership. The Chinese energy market has great potential. China is willing to step up cooperation with Russia and other energy producers and consumers to safeguard the stability of the world energy market and achieve win-win outcomes.

With regards to the current international situation and international anti-terrorism efforts, Hu said the international situation was undergoing the deepest and most complicated changes since the end of the Cold War and the trends of peace, development and cooperation were growing stronger. World multi-polarization and economic globalization are developing deeply; scientific and technological innovation is making breakthroughs; cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries remains thriving and all the countries in the world are facing sound development opportunities.

Hu said the international situation is highly complicated. The underlying impact of the global financial crisis keeps surfacing and the world economy is recovering slowly, but the unbalanced development of North and the South remains serious and countries still have a long way to go to reform global economic governance. While stable in general, the international security situation faces increasing instability and uncertain factors. Recent political instability and even war in countries in West Asia and North Africa has brought about a complex and profound impact on regional stability. Various conventional and non-conventional security issues are further interwoven and the threats and challenges of global issues such as climate change, environmental deterioration, energy and resource security, serious infectious diseases and massive natural disasters are on the rise.

He said countries would grow to greater interdependence and shared interests in new circumstances and it was the aspiration of the people and the trend of the times to seek peace, pursue development and promote cooperation. Faced with risks and challenges, countries must help each other, promote development together and make unremitting efforts to build a harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity.

Hu said the international community had taken concerted actions in recent years to crack down aggressively on terrorist activities and achieved progress in global anti-terrorism campaigns. But it should be aware the current international anti-terrorism situation remained severe, terrorist organizations are still active and the ground breeding terrorism is far from being eliminated. Countries need to do more to fight against terrorism worldwide. The international community should reinforce cooperation to fight terrorism according to the UN Charter and other widely accepted international laws and norms of international relations. It should adopt political, economic and diplomatic measures to try to remove the breeding ground of terrorism. China expects to work with all parties concerned to push for progress in global anti-terrorism cooperation and maintain regional and world peace and stability.

On a question about China’s peaceful development, Hu said it is an obvious fact China has achieved significant economic and social progress and raised its international status after more than 30 years of pursuing reform and opening-up policies. However, China remains a developing country. In terms of social productivity, technological innovativeness and people’s living standards, China lags far behind developed countries. It will be a long-term arduous task and will require tremendous effort to enable all the Chinese people to live prosperous and happy lives. That’s why China must concentrate on development at present and over the long term.

Sticking to the road of peaceful development was a solemn commitment made by the Chinese Government and the people to the international community, as well as China’s long-term principle. China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development and cooperation, unswervingly stick to the independent foreign policy of peace, and develop friendly cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. China advocates a new security outlook featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and collaboration, pursues a defensive national defense policy, neither engages in any arms race nor poses a military threat to any country, insists on solving regional hot-spot issues and international disputes through peaceful ways and opposes the arbitrary use of force or threat of force. China will never seek hegemony or expansion.

On the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Hu said the 90-year history of the CPC was closely linked with the fate of the Chinese people, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and China’s development. In the early 20th century, China was ravaged by imperialist aggression externally and oppressed by autocratic and feudal ruling internally, the whole nation was disaster-ridden and the people lived in deep misery. It was against this historical background that the CPC was born. Over the past 90 years, relying on and uniting closely the unremitting efforts of all the Chinese people, the CPC had overcome numerous difficulties and achieved the great victory of revolution, construction and reform. Today, socialist China is thriving and the Chinese nation has stood up in the East of the world. Meanwhile, the number of CPC members has grown from more than just 50 to more than 80 million. It can be said the 90-year history of the CPC was a history of unremitting struggle for national independence and people’s liberation, national prosperity and people’s happiness.

Hu said the problems and difficulties China has encountered in the course of development, in terms of size and complexity, were unprecedented despite the world-acclaimed achievements in development it had made. China still has a long way to go to build a well-off society at a higher level, realize basic modernization and achieve common prosperity for all the people. The CPC will carefully sum up experiences; adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly; pursue the Scientific Outlook on Development; lead people of all ethnic groups to promote reform, opening up and modernization; and enable the 1.3 billion Chinese people to live a happier life.


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