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RUSSIA AND CHINA: WINGING TOWARD TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY PARTNERSHIP
(Rossiiskiye Vesti, December 26. In full.)
Grigori KARASIN, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia

China's Prime Minister Li Peng is to arrive on a visit to Moscow today. Russian-Chinese contacts were marked by impressive activity in all fields throughout 1996. Beijing hosted an extremely successful and serious bilateral summit this past April, with President Boris Yeltsin of Russia and China's President Jiang Zemin defining a new formula of Russian-Chinese relations, e.g. equitable and trustful partnership aimed at ensuring strategic interaction during the 21st century. Both statesmen agreed to hold summits on a regular basis, that is at least once a year, to set up the Moscow-Beijing "hot line" communications network, to establish the Russian-Chinese committee of friendship, peace and development. In April 1996, the heads of five states, namely Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia and Tajikistan, signed an agreement on strengthening military confidence-building measures along their common borders. That agreement is something unique for the entire Asia-Pacific region.

Apart from that, Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministers met on four occasions, with the Speakers of our two Parliaments exchanging visits, too. High-placed members of both countries' Governments negotiated in Moscow and Beijing. Among other things, First Vice-Premier Alexei Bolshakov of the Russian Cabinet has visited China not so long ago.

Russian-Chinese relations were particularly dynamic and politically active throughout the entire 1996 time period, which is crowned with the working visit of China's Premier Li Peng. The talks between Viktor Chernomyrdin and Li Peng are going to activate the mechanism of regular meetings between our two countries' Prime Ministers. Such a machinery is also called on to impart an additional impetus to Russian-Chinese ties in every field.

In a word, one is receiving convincing proof of the fact that equitable and trustful Russian-Chinese partnership, as well as the two countries' movement toward 21st century strategic interaction, don't amount to political declarations alone. On the contrary, they adequately reflect a new quality of our bilateral cooperation.

Russia, undoubtedly, views its relations with China as an independent and intransigent priority. You see, our common border stretches for 4,300 km. China is a major power responsible for the world's destinies. It is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. China has scored some impressive economic successes, chalking up 10-percent annual growth rates over the last two decades. Its foreign-currency reserves now stand at $100 billion. The Chinese GNP is going to reach US levels over the 2010-2020 period. And, finally, China boasts an impressive military potential, a nuclear deterrent included. In other words, China is now turning into a global, rather than regional, center of strength.

The current Russian-Chinese partnership and their 21st century strategic interaction should not be seen as attempts aimed at forging some new alliance or pact. Our two countries oppose all concepts envisaging the world's division into new axes and blocs, which have become a thing of the past together with the Cold War. Equitable and mutually-advantageous Russian-Chinese cooperation rejects pressure and power politics, serving to strengthen both countries' international positions and becoming a weighty factor of universal stability and the international situation's predictability in a new multi-polar world. Besides, such cooperation prevents the international community from engaging in new kinds of confrontation.

Russia and China build upon their bilateral interaction in line with their own national interests and tasks. Doubtless, reforms and domestic development are perceived as a top priority here. For example, Russia regards its cooperation with China, Japan and ASEAN countries, as well as its integration into regional economic organizations, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Council, as a task of paramount importance (from the point of view of its Far Eastern and Siberian economic development).

Naturally enough, we also think about long-term Russian security. The strengthening of confidence-building measures along the Russian-Chinese border, as well as the completion of its legal formalization in accordance with bilateral treaties, will make it possible to establish a wide-scale peace and stability zone in that region.

We don't turn a blind eye on sensitive problems of Russian-Chinese relations that attract our public's attention. For instance, some Russian politicians now regard the ongoing demarcation of the Russian-Chinese border in a rather biassed manner. We believe that such potentially explosive issues should better be resolved in the course of negotiations and in line with existing legal commitments, rather than at rallies. Readiness to make mutual concessions, as well as compromise, constitute important elements of such talks. At the same time, Russia, which is a great power, should not hustle and bustle. I want to repeat once again that Russia proceeds from the need to unfailingly observe its own commitments, e.g. the May 16, 1991 bilateral agreement pertaining to the eastern sector of the Russian-Chinese border that was ratified by our Parliament.

The illegal settlement of Chinese citizens on Russian territory is seen as yet another problem. The Russian Foreign Ministry has always posed this issue before official Chinese authorities, and will continue to do so in the future, drawing attention to violations of Russia's legislation that deals with the stay of foreigners in this country by Chinese citizens. We have received Beijing's official confirmation to the effect that China is ready to closely cooperate with Russia, so that this issue doesn't turn into a major "irritant" in our bilateral relationship.

Prime Minister Li Peng's visit will take place against a favorable background. Both countries have ample opportunities for bilateral interaction on the international scene and in the economic field. Plans are in place to start implementing a number of sweeping long-term projects in such promising areas as the power industry, the machine-building sector, the aerospace industry, transportation, agriculture and state-of-the-art technologies. We have decided to boost our bilateral trade turnover to $20 billion during the next few years.

Li Peng's negotiations with Viktor Chernomyrdin are something very important, indeed. They also have tremendous significance as a prelude to a new stage in Russian-Chinese relations, which is to be launched by the fourth bilateral summit in Moscow (1997).