China – Russia: Joint Celebrations of 75th Anniversary of Relations

China and Russia are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, as well as the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, the former Soviet Union. In a heartfelt congratulatory message sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated the “great importance” Beijing attaches to developing strategic relations with Moscow. President Xi emphasized his willingness to “work together with his counterpart Vladimir Putin to expand bilateral cooperation and contribute to maintaining global peace and stability.”

“Good-neighborliness and lasting friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination, mutually beneficial cooperation and results have become the most important characteristics of bilateral relations,” Xi Jinping wrote.

Facing “great changes unseen in a century,” the Chinese leader said political trust between the two countries continues to deepen, cooperation has “achieved remarkable results,” and “intergenerational friendship is deeply rooted in people’s hearts.” In this context, Xi Jinping reiterated that Beijing is ready to “work with President Putin to make the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations an opportunity to achieve new results in the bilateral and multilateral spheres.”

Meanwhile, as China’s national railway network prepares to log more than 21 million trips on October 2, as part of the National Day weekend ending October 7, China’s Coast Guard fleet entered the Arctic Ocean for the first time in history for joint patrols with the Russian Navy.

This was emphasized by Chinese state television: “The arrival of the Meishan ship coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Russia.” The coast guards of China and Russia undertook joint patrols in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean for the first time on September 21. During the patrols, both fleets inspected vessels to ensure that the region’s fisheries were in order.

The two neighboring countries are cooperating to develop Arctic sea routes that Moscow wants to use to export oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China and other Asian countries. For its part, China wants access to an alternative sea route to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia.