With right approach, two giants can coexist
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E-mail Xinhua, October 14, 2014
China and Russia are carefully maneuvering their relationship away from the stereotypes often held about relations between two big countries.
Pioneered by frequent exchanges between top leaders and exploring common interests in economic development and international affairs, the two neighbors are nurturing a constructive relationship.
The current visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Russia has produced the latest progress. On Monday, the two governments inked about 40 cooperation agreements on various areas including trade, investment, energy, people-to-people exchanges, advanced technology, satellite navigation, currency swap and customs.
The meeting between Li and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, is the 19th annual meeting between a Chinese premier and Russian prime minister since 1996. Year by year, these meetings have produced increasingly concrete and diversified cooperation plans, representing upward bilateral ties.
As Premier Li put it, China and Russia are the biggest neighbors and important partners to each other.
But this does not mean that the current bilateral relations come easily.
The China-Russia relationship is one of the most unique and significant in the world. It not only matters a lot to both countries but also to the world and regional stability.
It is also delicate. There are not many neighbors that are equally big and diverse as Russia and China, one having extensive land across Europe and Asia, rich resources and comprehensive strength, and the other, the world's most populous and second largest economy.
To establish friendly, productive and stable relations, the leadership has first showed strong willingness to engage.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have met four times in the past ten months. The leaders will likely meet again next month at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing.
The two countries have tried their best to seek common grounds and shared interests in political, economic and social exchanges.
The economic cooperation made a breakthrough in the energy sector in May. The two countries wrapped up decade-long negotiations of a cross-border natural gas pipeline project, through which Russia will sell China 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from 2018.
The construction of this pipeline started in September while the two sides began the negotiation of another gas pipeline.
Besides energy, they are working to boost trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, civil aviation, space technology and finance.
During Li's visit, a local currency swap deal worth 150 billion yuan (24.4 billion U.S. dollars) between the central banks of China and Russia was among the documents signed.
Li also offered to advance the establishment of a Eurasian high-speed transport corridor between Beijing and Moscow.
The governments are trying hard to encourage people-to-people exchanges by sponsoring a series of annual functions. The theme of next year is "the China-Russia Youth Friendly Exchange Year".
By jointly marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II next year, the two countries also aim to renew shared memory and raise mutual affection among ordinary people.
China and Russia both realize that there are more benefit and less risk to be in tune than to wrestle with each other.
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