Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang gave a follow-up briefing on President Xi’s trip to Moscow, pointing out the global significance of this meeting of the two leaders. He described it as a culmination of a ten-year period, pointing to President Xi’s visit ten years ago, where he announced in a speech to the Moscow Institute of International Relations his concept of a community of a shared future for mankind. President Xi, in his own comments, had pointed to the 70 years of strong relationship with Russia, one interrupted temporarily by the Sino-Soviet split. One could, in all justice, take the relationship back to the time of Gottfried Leibniz, who encouraged Tsar Peter to develop ties to the East, so as to link up with the flourishing culture Leibniz knew existed at the time in China.
Qin Gang noted the importance of the visit, given the dangerous situation caused by the move of certain countries toward unilateralism and hegemony. The relationship between these two major powers also serves a new model of major-country relationship, one based upon non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties. “The Sino-Russian relationship is a bright and open friendship between gentlemen, in stark contrast to those closed and exclusive, selfish and narrow-minded group politics,” Qin said. “Under the new situation, China and Russia are committed to advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, which will not only benefit the two peoples, but also make new contributions to the development and progress of mankind.”
