Facing the international press gathered at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked about the close work with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with over 50 meetings in the last 14 years. The president of Xinhua News Agency, Fu Hua, called it “truly an extraordinary, unprecedented achievement. Our relationship is good-neighborly, friendly, and truly at its peak…. This close engagement at such a senior level—how did we achieve it? How did we reach this unprecedented level?”
Putin chose to situate the accomplishment beyond the close relationship with Xi in a larger context.
First, he rebutted the claims of recent years that ‘Russia has pivoted towards Asia. Russia has not changed its policy, he said, pointing out that the “agreement that underpins our cooperation... was signed back in 2001.” It’s been “the foundation for our current results, which are impressive,” with around $250 billion in mutual trade and progress in diversification. However, “over the centuries, throughout our interactions, a particular system of principles governing our relations has emerged. Not yesterday, not today, and not five years ago—but over centuries, these principles have taken shape.”
“China is progressing rapidly and dynamically, assuming an increasingly significant role in the global economy, world politics, and international affairs as a whole,” and “we have been engaging in close collaboration and cooperation. Twenty-five years ago, we signed the foundational Treaty, which established favorable preconditions and a robust foundation for the development of bilateral cooperation in all areas. Such is the result. In recent years, as both the Chinese and Russian economies have expanded and diversified, new opportunities have emerged for us—encompassing a vast array of fields….
“We have always cooperated—not just in the last five years, but consistently—in the military sphere, and our interaction continues unabated. There is nothing new in this regard; it is simply a tradition of our relations, both military and military-technical cooperation. We are jointly considering certain developments in this domain. I reiterate, this is not connected to current events that are capturing global attention, including those in Ukraine or even in the Middle East. We simply cooperate and maintain friendship with China—not directed against anyone, as I have stated, but rather in each other’s interests. That is all.”
But on his meetings with Xi, he reported: “He addresses me as ‘my old friend,’ and I reciprocate. This is neither an exaggeration nor a figure of speech. We have cultivated a relationship of trust. Naturally, we are guided first and foremost by the national interests of our countries, yet these interests often align, and personal relationships provide a solid foundation for reaching ever-new horizons. That is why I believe we have established favorable preconditions for enhancing our interaction with China.”
Putin teased the press by saying that meetings between Russian and Chinese officials on the sidelines of the forum “will soon delight the global energy market with new agreements.”
