By He Yin, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping had a video meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 21, 2025, ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. 

During the virtual meeting, the two heads of state reviewed the significant progress made in China-Russia relations in 2024, and looked ahead to key moments in the development of bilateral ties in 2025. 

They engaged in in-depth discussions on international and regional issues of common concern, and agreed to maintain strategic communication in the new year. 

Continuing guiding China-Russia relations toward a new height, the two leaders sent a positive signal of the two countries’ determination to cope with uncertainties of the external environment with the stability and resilience of their bilateral ties during the video meeting. 

This stable, resilient China-Russia relationship is expected to help promote the development and revitalization of the two countries, and uphold international fairness and justice.

The leadership of the heads of state of both countries represents the greatest political advantage and fundamental guarantee for the robust development of China-Russia relations. 

In 2024, the two heads of state of China and Russia met three times, which led to a range of important common understandings. 

Both countries held grand celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations. Featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, the relations have become increasingly dynamic. 

Over the past year, the two heads of state held candid, in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations, international and regional situations, and global governance, among other major issues of common concern, and achieved a series of important consensuses, jointly guiding the development of bilateral relations and the reform of the global governance system.

Pragmatic cooperation is the most important endogenous driving force for the continuous development of China-Russia relations. 

The two countries have made steady progress while maintaining stability in their pragmatic cooperation, with bilateral trade continuing to grow. 

In recent years, China and Russia have strengthened alignment of their development strategies, and achieved rich fruits in bilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

A good number of large-scale projects have driven economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, benefiting their peoples with tangible results. 

Automobiles and smartphones produced by Chinese brands are increasingly popular among Russian consumers, while high-quality Russian agricultural products and foods are finding their way into millions of Chinese households. 

China is ready to work with Russia to accelerate the implementation of important consensuses reached by the two heads of state, further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and ensure that the outcomes of their cooperation better benefit both countries and their peoples.

Through a long and challenging journey, China and Russia have found the right way for neighboring major countries to get along with each other, which features non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party. 

In the face of rapidly evolving global changes unseen in a century and an increasingly volatile international landscape, both countries have remained at the forefront of the times. 

Staying true to their original aspirations of establishing diplomatic ties, the two countries have strengthened strategic coordination, advanced pragmatic cooperation, and jointly pioneered a new path of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, setting an example for a new type of international relations and relations between neighboring major countries. 

The two countries’ unswerving commitment to everlasting friendship, fulfillment of their responsibilities as major countries, and mutually beneficial cooperation has not only benefited the development of their bilateral relations and the well-being of their peoples, but also contributed to global peace and stability.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN). 

China and Russia will take this as an opportunity to jointly defend the UN-centered international system and the outcomes of victory in World War II, promote all countries’ adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and practice true multilateralism. 

Given that China and Russia are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world, and China serves as the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the close coordination between the two countries on multilateral platforms such as the UN, the SCO, and BRICS is bound to provide more positive energy for the reform and development of the global governance system. 

As the Chinese people are about to bid farewell to the old lunar year and usher in the new, a new journey will soon begin.

Under the leadership of the heads of state of both countries, China and Russia will continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding the legitimate interests of the two countries. 

By continuously deepening and expanding their comprehensive strategic coordination and pragmatic cooperation in various fields, the two countries will bring more benefits to their peoples and make greater contributions to human progress.