[ex.cssn.cn] Guan Xueling: Sino-Russian ties enter a new era, bringing new solution for sustainable development

From June 5 to 7, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia. During his trip, Xi highlighted sustainable development as “golden key” to solving global problems in his address at the 23rd St.Petersburg International Economic Forum, a high-level event held annually since 1997 that also known as the “Russian Davos”. Xi and Putin signed the statements on elevating bilateral ties to the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, and on strengthening contemporary global strategic stability.

2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China as well as the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia. Facing the world’s profound changes unseen in a century as the trend of multilateralism and globalization being resisted, China and Russia are standing at a crossroads of history again. Confronted with growing common challenges and external risks, China and Russia must reinforce the bilateral ties, safeguard the peace and prosperity of the world, and make a contribution to sustainable development.

Changes unseen in a century – standing at a crossroads of history again

Since the 1990s, globalization has been the driving force of the world economy, facilitating free trade and economic liberalization across the world. All countries and regions are closely connected and integrated, becoming an inseparable part of the world economy. In this process, developed countries captured more dividends, the emerging market economies such as the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and developing countries achieved rapid development too. In 2018, contributions made by the emerging markets and developing countries reached 80%, accounting for nearly 40% of the world economy by the current exchange rate method.

However, international trade and direct investment are severely affected by the global financial crisis of 2008, leading to a sluggish world economy. Even worse, increasing unilateralism, protectionism seriously impedes international trade, investment and economic growth. In April, WTO has estimated global trade growth to reach merely 2.6 percent in 2019, the lowest level in three years. IMF lowered its global growth forecast for 2019 to 3.3%, 0.2% below its previous estimate in January, but projected China’s economy to grow by 6.3%, higher than its previous forecast of 6.2%. The upgrade in China’s growth forecast shows that China’s regulatory policies such as the supply-side structural reform, deeper opening up and the Belt and Road Initiative have taken effect.

From the angle of historical materialism, China has never been so close to the center of the world stage, so close to fulfilling the Chinese dream of national renewal, and so confident and able to realize this goal. From the perspective of the world landscape, the rise of emerging markets and developing countries has never been so fast, the competition driven by new-round high-tech innovation has never been so intense, and the asymmetric and mismatch of global governance system and international changes have never been so problematic.

Sustainable development – the golden key to solving global problems

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda), adopted by the UN in September 2015, centered on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals based on three dimensions of economic growth, social development and environmental protection. President Xi in his first visit to the UN expressed China’s willingness to join hand in hand with all the member states to push forward the Agenda 2030. Moreover, the Belt and Road Initiative shares similar visions with the Agenda 2030, both committed to preserving multilateralism and globalization, promoting world peace and development.

At the SPIEF 2019 with the theme of “Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda”, President Xi once again emphasized that sustainable development answers to the common calls of most countries in the world, laying out three areas where China and the rest of the world can work together in exploring a new path of sustainable development: stick to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and work together to create an open and pluralistic world economy, stick to the practice of putting people first, and strive to build a happy society that is inclusive and benefits all, stick to the pursuit of green development, and try to build a beautiful homeland with harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

China and Russia’s solutions for sustainable development

In 2013, President Xi proposed the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2015, China and Russia signed a “Joint Statement on Cooperation of Connection between the Silk Road Economic Belt and Eurasian Economic Union”. In 2016, Russia President Putin proposed the building of “the Greater Eurasian Partnership”, including the EEU, SCO and ASEAN member states.

Objectively speaking, the implementation of each of the above-mentioned initiatives won’t be easy, let alone to carry out the strategic cooperation and connection of the two countries’ ambitious projects. On the basis of high-level mutual trust, deep understanding of the core interests, and strong support from both sides, China and Russia set a good example of facilitating cooperation and coordination between great powers. By the end of 2018, the Sino-Russian bilateral trade reached a record-breaking 100 billion dollars. In 2019, China and Russia cooperation bear rich fruit: the first highway bridge over the Heilongjiang River connecting China and Russia, and the first cross-border railway bridge completed, the first cargoes of liquefied natural gas from the Yamal LNG project was delivered to China, the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline soon to be completed. Besides, the two sides are planning for the China-Russia year of scientific and technological innovation from 2020 to 2021.

Noting that the world today is becoming increasingly uncertain and unstable, Xi said enhancing the China-Russia relationship is the call of history and a firm strategic choice by both sides.

Guan Xueling, Research Fellow of National Academy of Development and Strategy, Executive Deputy Dean of RUC Shenzhen Academy, and Director of RUC- SPBU Russia Center.

The original article was first published at here.