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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Good afternoon, friends, ladies and gentlemen,
The state visit by the President of China, Mr Hu Jintao starts today and apart from our regular agenda we have another very good reason: this year is the 10th anniversary since the signing of the Russian-Chinese Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation.
This Treaty established a sound legal basis for the development of our relations for years ahead, and for the coordination of our agendas in the modern world. The Treaty first used a formula which has now become very common: trustful partnership and strategic cooperation. Our achievements over the past several years and plans for the future are reflected in the just signed joint statement on the Treaty’s 10th anniversary.
”This year is the 10th anniversary since the signing of the Russian-Chinese Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation. This Treaty established a sound legal basis for the development of our relations for years ahead, and for the coordination of our agendas in the modern world.“
During the talks, which had just taken place in the Kremlin, we discussed the key objectives of cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats. This is especially true of trade and economic ties. In recent years, we have seen a steady growth of trade. Mr President has just said that at the beginning of the past decade trade stood at $8 billion, whereas now it amounts to $60 billion and will probably be even greater this year. Therefore, we have set very substantial figures as our benchmarks for the future: trade between our countries will reach $100 billion by 2015 and $200 billion by 2020. This will be a level worthy of the Russian-Chinese partnership and cooperation. It is also clear that the turnover has become more diverse and more accurately reflects the structure of the two economies.
Investments and high technology industries are the two areas of greatest interest to us, including space and civil aircraft engineering. Naturally, energy in the broadest sense of the word will be one of the key components of our cooperation: I mean both energy supply and delivery of components to produce nuclear and other types of energy. We will strengthen cooperation in all these areas.
Inter-regional ties are also a crucial part of our partnership, and we discussed ways to intensify them. We have already launched the cooperation programme between regions in the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia and northeast China through to 2018. The high level of our trade and economic partnership is also reaffirmed by the set of documents just signed in this hall, as witnessed by those present.
Cultural and educational ties play a major role in the development of relations between our two nations. They were filled with new content after the very successful Year of the Russian Language in China in 2009 and the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia in 2010, as well as the Year of Russia in China and the Year of China in Russia held in the past two years.
We focus on the development of youth contacts, new opportunities for the study of the national languages and educational exchanges. I would like to note in this context the upcoming 4th Chinese-Russian Youth Sports Games, to be held in just a month in the Russian Federation.
Another major project in the works is the organisation of tourist years: 2012 and 2013 will be the years of tourism in our countries. I am confident that this initiative will be a great success just like the previous ones, and the exchange of tourists between our countries will grow. I would also like to mention another very noble project related to the organisation of holidays for children in Russia and China. I think this is also a symbol of friendship between our two countries.
We also discussed international issues today. The Chinese President’s visit is taking place immediately after the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, in which both of us took part. We noted once again the SCO’s marked achievements and outlined the plans for the future. We also talked about using the SCO’s potential to ensure regional security and stability in Central Asia, as well as the development of relations between countries.
We considered other international issues, including cooperation in the BRICS format and the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, and exchanged views on the settlement of the North Korean nuclear issue.
I would like to say that our countries’ approaches to these key issues on the international agenda are very close. They are set out in the joint statement on current international issues adopted today.
”We have set very substantial figures as our benchmarks for the future: trade between our countries will reach $100 billion by 2015 and $200 billion by 2020.“
In conclusion, I would like to thank the President of the People's Republic of China, Mr Hu Jintao, and our Chinese partners for the constructive and friendly dialogue on the entire range of issues. I am confident that this dialogue is highly useful for our nations, and therefore it also contributes to global security and stability throughout the world.
President of China Hu Jintao (re-translated): Ladies and gentlemen, friends,
President Medvedev and I have just held trusting, friendly and fruitful talks. We exchanged views on the future development of bilateral relations and on important international and regional issues. Several important agreements were reached as a result of our talks: we signed the Joint Statement by Russia and China on the current situation in the world and the main international issues and a Joint Statement in connection with the 10th anniversary of the Russian-Chinese Treaty on Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation. In the course of our talks we expressed our high opinion of the Treaty’s historical significance, made a comprehensive analysis of the fruitful development of the Chinese-Russian relations over these past 10 years, and outlined the tasks and plans for the future development of Chinese-Russian relations in the coming decade.
We unanimously emphasise that the deepening of Chinese-Russian relations will continue to be a foreign policy priority for both our states. Both China and Russia will adhere to the spirit of the Treaty, always guided by the principles of equality, mutual trust, mutual benefit, joint gains, mutual respect, mutual support and everlasting friendship, continuously strengthen mutual political trust, enhance existing mechanisms of cooperation in every possible way to expand practical collaboration in all fields and work towards the development of Chinese-Russian relations and a comprehensive strategic partnership and cooperation.
We unanimously decided to focus on practical cooperation between the two countries, making concerted efforts to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion in 2015, and on this basis to develop a programme to bring bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2020.
Gas is an important component of Chinese-Russian business cooperation, and the parties are prepared to continue advancing it on the principles of mutual benefit and joint gains. The parties attach particular importance to enhancing investment, inter-regional and high-tech cooperation, and will fully implement the Chinese-Russian investment cooperation programme and the inter-regional cooperation programme, expand mutual investment accelerating the implementation of the inter-regional cooperation priority projects previously agreed by us, and encourage cooperation in high-tech and innovation sectors in the interest of promoting pragmatic bilateral cooperation and securing new achievements.
We also decided to boost the coordinating role of the Russian-Chinese Commission on Humanitarian Cooperation, to promote the efforts of non-governmental bodies and the general public, effectively increase the exchange of cooperation in education, culture, healthcare, sports, media and tourism. We will promote the deepening and strengthening of the traditionally close friendship between our nations, reinforcing the social framework between China and Russia.
We believe that against the backdrop of a rapidly changing and complex international situation, China and Russia as world powers and permanent members of UN Security Council should continue to be guided by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, fully expand the strategic cooperation in international affairs and strongly reinforce our interaction in such multilateral frameworks as the UN and the Group of Twenty. At the same time we must deepen our cooperation in such formats as SCO and BRICS in order to maintain peace, security and stability on the planet, contribute to the formation of a multipolar world and the democratisation of international relations.
We are confident that in the spirit of the Russian-Chinese Treaty on Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation and with increased efforts of both parties the Chinese-Russian relations are certain to evolve further and will contribute to the growth and prosperity of our countries for the benefit of our peoples.
”We focus on the development of youth contacts, new opportunities for the study of the national languages and educational exchanges.“
Question: Mr Medvedev, you have already mentioned the ambitious goals in the level of trade: $200 billion by 2020. What needs to be done to achieve this target? And are you satisfied with the current structure of trade? What measures do you think can be taken to balance it?
Dmitry Medvedev: The figure of $200 billion dollars is huge, of course. Although we are pleased with the present state of our trade relations, I want to point out that to reach the target we will need to triple the trade volume we have today. What are the conditions to ensure we reach this target and generate new trade flows? The condition is simple: we must intensify cooperation and implement new mutually beneficial projects in a variety of areas.
Are we satisfied with our trade today? It's a rhetorical question: we are and we aren’t. On the one hand, it involves great amounts of commodities, which our people buy, which create jobs and generate profits. On the other hand, it is clear that there are certain problems in tis area.
Trade should grow as a result of new products being created and not only because of the rising prices for the commodities that already exist, be it raw materials or something else. Therefore, we must diversify trade and think about the kind of new projects I have mentioned, including cooperation in high technology, which is vitally important for Russia and China.
We must develop new projects, of which there are many; enough to mention our gas agreements that we have along western and eastern routes. This concerns our immediate plans, and we are currently negotiating the terms of supplying gas to China. These are strategic documents focused on the decades ahead; I stress, decades ahead. Trade can be generated on this basis.
What benefits does gas cooperation have for China? It gives China stability and the ability to plan the development of its great country for decades.
What benefits does this cooperation have for us? The same: stability, a growing market and long-term contracts at stable prices, which are beneficial for our state.
”Our countries’ approaches to the resolution of key issues on the international agenda are very close. They are set out in the joint statement on current international issues adopted today.“
That is why I am confident that we will achieve these goals: it meets the interests of the two states and the two nations.
Question (re-translated): A question for President Hu Jintao. As we know, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Russian-Chinese Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation. Over the years, the Chinese-Russian relations have seen an unparalleled development. What do you think about the prospects of Chinese-Russian relations in the coming 10 years?
Hu Jintao: Indeed, as I said earlier, Russian-Chinese relations and strategic partnership and cooperation have experienced unprecedented growth over the past 10 years since the signing of the Treaty. Our relationship over these years has in fact reached a groundbreaking level, and as a result our relations have brought tangible benefits to our peoples and our countries, while making a great contribution to ensuring peace, stability and development in the world at large.
As for the prospects of our relations over the next decade, I would like to note first of all that the next decade is a period of important opportunities not only for the development and revitalisation of China and Russia, but also for the acceleration of Chinese-Russian relations. During these talks with President Dmitry Medvedev we have reached very important agreements about the way we will build the Chinese-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership in the spirit of equality, mutual trust, mutual support, shared prosperity and everlasting friendship. We agreed that we will strive to continuously deepen our political and strategic mutual trust.
We have also agreed that we will fully support each other in protecting our vital interests.
Second, we have agreed that we will adhere to the principles of mutual benefit and joint gains in the overall deepening of our multifaceted practical cooperation.
The third very important aspect: we must continue to widely and actively disseminated the idea of eternal friendship between our two countries, continuously strengthening the ties between our two nations to ensure that the traditional Chinese-Russian friendship passes on from generation to generation.
Fourth, I believe that we must continue our joint efforts to establish a multi-polar world order and democracy in international relations, promote the construction of a harmonious world based on sustainable development and shared prosperity.
I am confident that with our joint efforts the Chinese-Russian relations have a very bright future, which will certainly bring great benefits to our peoples and to other nations, while making a significant contribution to the development of peace around the globe.
June 16, 2011