VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Relations between Russia and China have been developing dynamically on a firm foundation of law and a ramified organisational network of active bilateral ties at all levels.
The guidelines of Russia-China relations and the main spheres of their cooperation are sealed in the Treaty of Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation signed in Moscow on July 16, 2001. The two countries have intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements in nearly all spheres of cooperation.
The Russian and the Chinese heads of state meet regularly, at least four times a year (official visits and bilateral meetings during SCO, APEC and G8 summits).
In 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao met three times.
The mechanism of regular annual meetings between the Russian and the Chinese prime ministers established in 1996 is the underlying factor of the progressive development of bilateral relations in all spheres. The prime ministers met on October 27-29, 2008 in Moscow. And the next meeting took place in Beijing on October 13, 2009.
Russia and China have settled their border disputes and formalised the delimitation of the remaining two disputed parts of the eastern border. An additional protocol recording the Russian-Chinese border was signed in Beijing on July 21, 2008 during an official visit by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and came into force upon the completion of the required procedures on October 14, 2008.
Russia and China established a mechanism of consultations on strategic security issues, which has become a vital element of coordinating Russia-China interaction in this sphere. The third round of such consultations was held in November 2008.
The agreements on military confidence-building measures and on the mutual reduction of troops on the former Soviet-Chinese border, signed by the heads of five states - Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - in Shanghai in April 1996 and in Moscow in April 1997, are being implemented. In 2001, the Shanghai Five was transformed into the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation co-founded by the above five countries and Uzbekistan.
In 2008 Russian-Chinese trade grew 38.7% year on year, to $55.9 billion. Russian exports to China grew 33.0%, to $21.2 billion, and imports from China 42.3%, to $34.7 billion, which puts Russia's negative trade balance at $13.5 billion. According to Russia's Ministry of Economic Development, in January-July 2009 bilateral trade plunged by 37.1% compared to the same period of 2008, to $19.5 billion. Russian exports to China fell by 30.9%, to $8.5 billion, and imports from China 41.2%, to $11.0 billion, which puts Russia's negative trade balance at $2.5 billion.
Interregional ties are developing at a fast pace. Over 100 cooperation agreements have been signed between the administrative and territorial authorities of different levels. At this point, over 70 Russian constituent entities maintain ties with Chinese provinces.
One of the key priorities of bilateral relations is cultural and social cooperation. Vivid proof of the high level of Russian-Chinese relations was the decision of the two heads of state to hold the Year of Russia in China and the Year of China in Russia in 2006-2007. It was an unprecedented project in the history of the two countries' relations, which implied some 600 events in the political, trade, economic, military, research and technical, and cultural spheres. Russia and China also agreed to regularly hold some of the economic, scientific, cultural and sports events that proved especially successful, focusing on youth contacts.
Russia and China have launched a new large-scale cultural project, the Year of the Russian Language in China (2009) and the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia (2010). The two heads of state announced the opening of the Year of the Russian Language in China in their New Year addresses to the people. An organising committee for the Year has been set up under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov. The Year of the Russian Language in China was officially opened on March 27, 2009, during an official visit by Mr Zhukov to Beijing.
