China-Russia relations: More confident, stable and resilient

BEIJING, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on friendship between China and Russia:

"Hello, my dear brother Xueling…" — over a year ago, an overseas Chinese student, entrusted by a Russian neighbor, posted a long-preserved family letter from the neighbor's grandfather, hoping someone could help translate it and even possibly locate the family's long-lost relatives in China.

With many Chinese netizens lending a helping hand, the story recently gained a follow-up. Lyudmila, the youngest daughter of the "Xueling" (surname unknown) mentioned in the letter, recounted her father's experience from decades ago: He was once an anti-fascist soldier, who, after avenging the deaths of his family members at the hands of Japanese invaders, fled to the Soviet Union, where he started his own family. Out of longing for his wife and children, he chose never to return to China. But until his last breath, he retained his Chinese nationality. The twists and turns of his life are a microcosm of the brutality of the anti-fascist war, and a reflection of the war-time mutual support between China and Russia.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, and the World Anti-Fascist War. 80 years ago, China and Russia stood shoulder to shoulder as the two major battlefields in Asia and Europe, making heavy sacrifices to safeguard their nations and save the future of humanity, and leaving an indelible mark in human history. The deep friendship forged in blood between the two countries continues to this day amid changes rarely seen in a century, and has become a fertile ground for the two countries' mutual trust, reciprocal cooperation and joint development.

80 years on, the friendship between the two peoples has continued to flourish. In Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, many Russians cross the border to "have breakfast abroad", strolling through the bustling morning markets and enjoying a creative combo of "steamed buns with beer". Most public signage is also written in Russian in Heihe, facilitating the Russian visitors' communication. With improvements in transportation and visa processes, more tourists from China and Russia are paying each other visits. In 2024, 848,000 tourists from China visited Russia, 4.2 times as many as in 2023. During the 2024 and 2025 China-Russia Years of Culture, a variety of cultural activities have also deepened understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

In addition to people-to-people exchanges, the political mutual trust between the two countries has grown ever deeper, and the bond of practical cooperation ever stronger. Today, China and Russia coordinate and cooperate closely on multilateral platforms including the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, and the G20, acting as robust drivers that spur the joint development of the Global South countries, as well as key forces in advancing a multipolar world and the democratization of international relations.

On the economic and trade fronts, the two countries have also yielded remarkable results. In 2024, bilateral trade volume reached $244.8 billion, a new all-time high, and China has remained Russia's biggest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. Russia is also the top source of China's crude oil and natural gas imports, while China has become Russia's largest source of imported electromechanical products and automobiles.

In the recently concluded meeting between the two heads of state, China and Russia exchanged over 20 bilateral cooperation documents, covering areas including global strategic stability and safeguarding the authority of international law, which injected new impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said, China and Russia are good neighbors that cannot be moved away, true friends who share weal and woe, and good partners for mutual success. The growing confidence, stability and resilience of China-Russia relations not only stem from their friendship forged in hardship – allowing them to walk with each other through thick and thin – but also from the two countries' commitment to the spirit of good-neighborly friendship, ongoing deepening of cooperation, and the pursuit of mutual benefit and win-win results.

China Mosaic 
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm 
China-Russia relations: More confident, stable and resilient
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2025-05/13/content_117872520.shtml

SOURCE China.org.cn