Photo: VCG

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 19 to 20 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This will be President Putin's 25th visit to China, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination, the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation and the year to kick start events of the China-Russia Years of Education.

 The strategic guidance of the two heads of state, along with the convergence of a series of significant historical milestones, will bring new strategic opportunities and strong momentum for cooperation to the China-Russia relationship, which is currently at its best period in history.

Since the beginning of the new era, no matter how the international landscape changes, China and Russia have always been each other's trustworthy strategic partners of coordination and fellow travelers on the path of development and revitalization. 

What makes the relationship so resilient and vibrant? President Xi has clearly pointed out that the China-Russia relationship has become an example of major-country ties, featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation. The China-Russia relationship possesses strong endogenous driving forces and unique strategic value; it is not directed against any third party, nor is it influenced by any third party. 

Both countries regard the development of bilateral relations as a long-term strategic choice, not a matter of expediency. The two countries do not form "small cliques," but achieved deep mutual trust and all-round cooperation by standing shoulder-to-shoulder and working back-to-back, establishing a new type of major-country relations that transcends traditional military and political alliances, setting a model for exchanges between major powers and neighboring countries.

The guidance of the two heads of state is the greatest advantage and fundamental guarantee behind the high-level development of China-Russia relations. 

President Xi and President Putin have met more than 40 times and exchanged over 100 phone calls and letters over the past decade or more, maintaining close communication and coordination on bilateral ties as well as major international and regional issues. Through such interactions, the two heads of state have provided strategic guidance and direction for bilateral relations. 

From jointly signing the Joint Statement on a New Stage of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination in 2014, to announcing the development of a China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era in 2019, and then jointly deciding to extend the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation in 2021, every upgrade in China-Russia relations has been inseparable from the directional guidance and strategic planning of the two presidents. President Putin's current visit is a continuation of this strategic communication.

From a global perspective, China-Russia cooperation has also become a pillar for safeguarding international fairness and justice. At present, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major responsible countries, China and Russia shoulder particularly significant responsibilities. The more turbulent the international situation becomes, the more evident the mature, stable, and resilient nature of China-Russia relations appears, and the more important stronger strategic coordination and comprehensive cooperation become. On major international and regional issues, the two heads of state maintain close communication, advocate resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, and oppose interference in internal affairs, unilateral sanctions, and "long-arm jurisdiction." Within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS, and the G20, the two countries work closely together to safeguard the legitimate development rights of Global South countries and jointly promote a more just and equitable global governance system. History has repeatedly shown that as long as China and Russia stand firmly together, there is greater hope for international fairness and justice, greater certainty amid the once-in-a-century changes, and stronger momentum for humanity's development and progress.

2026 and 2027 also mark the "China-Russia Years of Education," the first national-level thematic years dedicated to education between the two countries. At present, more than 150 joint educational institutions and cooperative programs have been established between Chinese and Russian schools and universities, enabling complementary sharing of educational resources. Fifteen university alliances now include more than 800 higher education institutions, while secondary school alliances bring together more than 140 schools. As an old saying goes, "It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to cultivate people." Mutual understanding and friendship among young people form the deepest public foundation for lasting China-Russia friendship across generations. When young people tell their country's stories in each other's languages and forge friendships on each other's campuses, China-Russia relations gain a long-lasting resilience that no external force can undermine.

China and Russia are good neighbors that cannot be moved away, and true friends who share weal and woe. This friendship has withstood the test of time, and this cooperation can shoulder heavy responsibilities. This healthy, stable, and high-level strategic cooperation transcends the bilateral scope, injecting valuable certainty and positive energy into the region and the world, becoming a "ballast" for maintaining peace and stability. No matter what changes occur in the future, China and Russia will move forward calmly, adding precious stability and hope to an uncertain world with the certainty of their relationship.