Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
From May 7 to 10, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia and take part in celebrations in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War.
At a special key historical moment, the energetic and skillful diplomacy of the great powers and three key words attract special public attention.
Stability
How great powers get along with each other has become a major theme in international relations. As instability in the international environment increases, the world looks to great powers to provide stability and positive energy.
“History and reality have clearly shown us that China and Russia are good neighbors who cannot distance themselves from each other, and true friends who share sorrows and hardships, support each other and develop together,” President Xi Jinping emphasized in a telephone conversation with President Putin in February this year.
Good neighbors and true friends, possessing powerful inner impulses based on deep historical logic.
Regarding bilateral relations, it should be noted that the two countries “adhere to strengthening and developing bilateral relations based on the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties” and “form a new type of relations between great powers based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”
From a global perspective, China and Russia are the largest neighboring countries. They are also two world powers that are permanent members of the UN Security Council. They bear a special responsibility for maintaining and developing peace throughout the world. And their friendly relations and the achievement of mutual goals contribute to the development of a multipolar world and the democratization of international relations.
Reflecting on the past in light of the present, it can be noted that in the context of international turbulence, the key to the smooth development of Sino-Russian relations has become “finding the right way to coexist”, and “this not only meets the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also contributes to peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the whole world.”
Sense of history
This year has special historical significance.
May 9 marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War, and September 3 marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. These two anniversaries and two major battlefields together lead to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.
80 years ago, when Asia and Europe were the two main battlefields of World War II, China and Russia made enormous sacrifices and significant historical contributions to ensuring victory in the world anti-fascist war and saving peoples from destruction, as well as the future of all mankind.
It was not easy to achieve victory and peace, nor was it easy to establish the post-war international order.
“If we lose the memory of history, our minds will be lost in darkness,” Chinese President Xi Jinping once quoted the famous words of renowned Russian historian Klyuchevsky, thereby expressing his determination to preserve historical memory and uphold peace.
In May 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping was invited to Moscow to participate in celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. In September of the same year, a conference was held in Beijing dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.
And now, ten years have passed unnoticed. Today, when the world stands at the crossroads of history, China and Russia support each other in holding events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, promoting an accurate view of the history of World War II, preserving the results of World War II and the post-war international order, and defending international justice.
The concept of order
Today’s world has been shaped by history.
It was on the basis of the Great Victory won 80 years ago that China and Russia, together with other major members of the anti-fascist alliance, discussed the establishment of the UN and jointly drafted a number of important international documents such as the UN Charter, which laid the foundations of the modern international order and established the basic rules of international relations.
Peace rather than war, cooperation rather than confrontation, win-win rather than zero-sum – all this has become a powerful historical trend.
“In this world, the degree of interconnectedness and interdependence of various countries has never been so profound. Humanity lives in one global village, in one time and space, where history and reality intersect, increasingly becoming a community of a common destiny, close and inseparable,” so in March 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave the world the first interpretation of the concept of a community of a common destiny at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO MFA of Russia).
Great power diplomacy aimed at long-term planning and far-reaching results.
When turbulence intensifies, we must stand firmly on the right side of history, “resolutely oppose the attacks and actions that deny, distort and falsify the history of World War II,” and “jointly defend the outcome of World War II and international justice.”
When the “countercurrent” starts to bubble up, we must unwaveringly stand by the progress of human civilization. “Practice genuine multilateralism, promote an equitable and orderly multipolar world, comprehensive economic globalization, jointly implement the global development initiative, the global security initiative and the global civilization initiative, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind.”
It is the sacred duty of China and Russia to guide global governance in the right direction.
“China and Russia should take this as an opportunity to jointly safeguard the international system with the UN as its core and the legacy of World War II, and promote all countries to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, adhere to the universally recognized norms of international relations, and practice genuine multilateralism,” Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized during video conference talks with President Vladimir Putin in January this year.