BEIJING, December 29. /TASS/. Russia and China plan a number of major political events for the next year, including the exchange of visits by high-level officials, Moscow’s ambassador to China Andrey Denisov said in an interview with TASS on Monday.
In May, Moscow is due to host events dedicated to the 70th anniversary since the victory over the German fascism and Japanese militarism. Beijing also plans similar events in September.
“We often and at all the levels, including the highest one, call the Russian-Chinese partnership as an example of how relations between global powers are being built in a right way,” Denisov said.
The Russian-Chinese ties are based on the principles of mutual respect and equality as well as political and military confidence and non-interference in domestic affairs, he said.
“Of course, there is a search for interconnecting interests and mutual benefits,” the diplomat said.
Russia and China have had five full-fledged meetings and talks between the leaders on a whole range of issues of bilateral relations and international topics this year, he said.
In October, Russia and China signed a host of cooperation deals ranging from investment to energy and high-speed railways during the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Russia.
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“In the politics of Russia and China, there is no reason for any kind of rivalry,” Denisov stressed. “There are no issues in which Russia and China could act as rival powers,” he said.
“In cases when the interests do not overlap, and this is possible, we are doing everything not to create problems for each other and on the contrary, to do our best to lend a shoulder like partners. This is the essence of the strategic partnership, as we define it,” the ambassador said.
In late May 2014, Russian energy giant Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed a landmark 30-year contract on Russian natural gas supplies to China via the eastern route worth a total of $400 billion.
Over the past few years, the two countries have noticeably increased the intensity of their contacts. China has become Russia’s major trade partner while Russia is in the top ten of Beijing’s main trade partners. In 2002-2013, bilateral trade hiked from $12 billion to $89.2 billion.
Russia and China are planning to bring their bilateral trade turnover to $100 billion by 2015 and to $200 billion by 2020.
Russia-China trade grows 4-5% in outgoing year
Russian-Chinese trade should rise by 4-5% in the outgoing year, Andrey Denisov told TASS.
“First, this figure is higher than in the previous year, when growth has reached around 1%. Secondly, let’s recall that the year was very difficult and we were blatantly hampered to develop trade and economic relations. Finally, thirdly, we always remember tasks we are facing to reach a $100 billion trade by 2015 and $200 billion by 2020,” he said.
“I would like to focus on several well-developed projects in implementation of which Chinese business quarters are invited,” he added, noting that “this year already shaped Russian-Chinese energy alliance planning large-scale partnership in oil and gas supplies and reprocessing has been promoted stronger.
“Major contracts, including those largest in the global energy history, are signed, new ones, particularly in gas supplies, both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas, are being worked on.” Limited in volume, but quite promising cooperation in high technologies cannot but be noted. Nuclear power industry is prioritised, as Russia keeps cooperating actively with China. Chinese partners noted that our power units at Chinese nuclear power plants, first, are most fuel-saving, and, secondly, safest, moreover, with a major advance in both indicators,” Denisov said.