11th International Conference, Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s message to organisers and participants of the 11th International Conference, Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era (June 1, 2026)
✍️ I cordially welcome the organisers and participants of the 11th International Conference, Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era – a forum of high standing sponsored by the Russian International Affairs Council and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
This year is special for Russia-China relations. Thirty years ago, our Leaders proclaimed, in a Joint Declaration, for the first time ever, a fundamentally new model of relations between countries in the form of an equal and trust-based partnership underpinned by strategic interaction in the 21st century.
25 years ago, on July 16, 2001, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the People’s Republic of China Jiang Zemin signed the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation.
Without exaggeration, this landmark document opened a new chapter in the history of centuries-old Russia-China ties and reflected the deep historical traditions of neighbourliness and friendship between our peoples. It laid a solid foundation for building a multi-level architecture of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction based on equality and mutual benefit.
The trajectory of these relations relies on Leader diplomacy meaning a trust-based dialogue at the top level. It is therefore absolutely natural that, during President Putin’s official visit to China on May 19-20, the Leaders of Russia and China confirmed the renewal of the Treaty for five more years.
☝️ The principles of the Treaty have stood the test of time and continue to stand in today’s realities that include mutual support in matters concerning protection of state unity and territorial integrity, respect for each other’s choice of political, economic, social and cultural development paths, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, the absence of mutual territorial claims, and the determination of Moscow and Beijing to turn the common border into a belt of eternal peace and friendship.
Russia-China relations do not imply restrictions on the sovereignty of either Side, are not constrained by ideology, and are not directed against third countries. They remain resilient to external influences.
The Treaty established guidelines for practical interaction, contributing to the expansion of trade and economic ties and the promotion of cultural and humanitarian contacts by orders of magnitude. Holding cross thematic years has become an established tradition. Just recently, President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping launched another seminal joint initiative, namely, Russia-China Years of Cooperation in Education.
The Treaty is important internationally. The Russia-China foreign policy partnership based on overlapping interests and close approaches to international issues serves as a core stabilising factor in international affairs. Moscow and Beijing cooperate effectively on multilateral platforms, primarily the #UN and its Security Council, the #SCO, #BRICS, the #G20, and #ASEAN-centred formats.
In conjunction with their like-minded partners, Russia and China are contributing to building a more just #MultipolarWorld. They are doing much to create a space of equal and indivisible security and cooperation in Eurasia.
The broad bilateral agenda requires all dialogue mechanisms to be continuously fine-tuned. In this regard, the role of the expert, scientific and academic communities can hardly be overestimated. Your conference will undoubtedly make its own valuable contribution to these shared efforts.
🤝 I wish you productive work and all the very best.
SERGEY LAVROV