China Russia Photo: Xinhua

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Xi and President Putin will hold an important meeting to steer the course and draw up a blueprint for the development of China-Russia relations in the new era.

The guidance of the two heads of state serves as the greatest advantage and fundamental guarantee for the high-level development of China-Russia relations. For a long time, President Xi and President Putin have maintained close communication, continuing to write a beautiful chapter of friendship. They, with their far-sighted political guidance and strategic planning, have propelled China-Russia relations to achieve a series of historic and landmark results, providing the most fundamental and reliable political guarantee for the sound and steady growth of bilateral relations. It is precisely under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state that China-Russia relations have exhibited a mature, stable, and resilient high-level development trend.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination. President Xi profoundly pointed out that the China-Russia relationship has withstood the test of the world's profound changes and has become an example of major-country ties, featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation. These three points succinctly summarize why the China-Russia relations can achieve steady and long-term development, and also demonstrate, from three dimensions, the continuously deepening comprehensive strategic coordination between China and Russia, injecting surging momentum into the development of their respective countries, the well-being of their people, and the peace and stability of the world today.

Prior to his visit, President Putin delivered a video address, noting that "regular mutual visits and Russia-China top-level talks are an important and integral part of our joint efforts to promote the entire range of relations between our two countries and unlock their truly limitless potential." This is the first time President Putin has delivered a video address before a trip abroad, demonstrating the high importance Russia attaches to this visit and reflecting the inherent driving force behind the long-term stable development of China-Russia relations. Based on a correct strategic understanding of each other, China and Russia stand at the forefront of a new type of major-country relations and set a model for relations between neighboring countries. China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors, sharing a border of over 4,300 kilometers. Twenty-five years ago, the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia enshrined the concept of "everlasting friendship and never treating each other as enemy" in law. Today, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries are as frequent as visiting relatives; visa-free travel and the increasingly expanded cross-border channels have made the flow of people and goods even more vibrant. The launch of the China-Russia Years of Education will inject new impetus into the enduring friendship between the two countries. In a complex international environment, this stable relationship between China and Russia featuring close affinity provides a reliable guarantee for their respective development and revitalization.

The comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia is of great significance to maintaining global strategic stability, upholding multilateralism, and safeguarding the international order. From the very beginning, the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination has been built on the foundation of equality, respect, and mutual benefit. China and Russia are strategically independent, consistently respect each other's core interests, refrain from imposing their own will and agendas on each other, and adhere to the principle of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party. As major powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia focus not only on bilateral cooperation, but also maintain close coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and BRICS, jointly responding to issues of the times. Together, China and Russia contribute to safeguarding the victory of World War II and defending the international system centered on the United Nations, while also promoting a fairer and more equitable international order.

China and Russia are continuously deepening and expanding their comprehensive strategic coordination and pragmatic cooperation in various fields, injecting strong momentum into the development and modernization of both countries. Despite a complex and rapidly changing external environment, practical cooperation between the two sides has demonstrated remarkable resilience and vitality, with bilateral trade surpassing the $200 billion mark for three consecutive years. From January to April 2026, the bilateral trade volume increased by nearly 20 percent compared to the same period last year. China-Russia cooperation is advancing from quantitative growth to qualitative improvement, producing highlights across both traditional and emerging fields. The 10th China-Russia Expo in Harbin has attracted more than 1,500 companies from 46 countries and regions, becoming the latest example of win-win cooperation between the two countries, and enabling the peoples of both countries to genuinely share the benefits of development and revitalization.

Enduring good-neighborliness, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation for win-win outcomes - these three defining features serve as the pillars supporting the long-term and steady development of China-Russia relations. Standing at a new historical starting point, the meeting between the two heads of state carries great significance in building on the past and opening a new chapter for the future. The giant ship of China-Russia relations is set to sail toward the future.