Building and Enhancing the Strategic Partnership and Writing a New Chapter of Friendly Cooperation

- Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Talks about the Outcome of President Hu Jintao's Visits

From June 12 to 20, 2011, Chinese President Hu Jintao paid state visits to Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine on invitation. He also attended the Astana Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Fifteenth St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. As the trip was coming to an end, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi introduced to the accompanying journalists President Hu's trip and its outcome.

FM Yang said President Hu's visits are an important diplomatic move taken by the head of state of China in the special historical context that the regional and international situation is undergoing profound and complex evolution, the SCO has entered a crucial period of development, and China's relations with European and Asian countries are experiencing rapid development. President Hu's visits coincided with the 10th anniversary of the SCO and the 10th anniversary of the signing of the "Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation". This diplomatic move is of great significance for it serves as a link between the past and the future.

Yang said that President Hu Jintao carried out intensive diplomatic activities in the nine-day trip. He visited five cities in three countries, participated in two international conferences, and attended more than 50 bilateral and multilateral activities. During the visits, President Hu had meetings respectively with the leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, during which he expounded China's propositions on the development of bilateral relations. He had extensive engagements with different communities, exchanged views with the leaders of the three countries on enhancing mutual political trust and boosting pragmatic cooperation and reached many important consensuses with them. President Hu delivered an important speech at the Astana Summit of the SCO. He had meetings and talks with the leaders attending the summit, during which he expounded China's positions and propositions on the future development of the SCO and called on the SCO member states to adhere to the "Shanghai spirit" and reach consensuses on the general objectives for the development of the organization for the next 10 years. President Hu attended the 15th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and delivered an important speech. During his visits, President Hu, together with the leaders of other countries, met with journalists together. He also accepted written interviews by mainstream media of Kazakhstan and Russia, through which he passed a positive signal of China's commitments to bring the relations with relevant countries to a new level to the European and Asian regions and the international community, expounded China's firm position of adhering to peaceful development, and showcased the image of a big responsible country seeking for peace, development and cooperation. Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine warmly welcomed President Hu and accorded him with the highest standard of courtesy and warm hospitality. The media in the visited countries and the international media spoke highly of President Hu's visits with the general comments that the visits have brought the relations between China and relevant countries to a new stage of development and have played an important role in advancing the future development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Yang said President Hu's visits achieved a complete success for the expected goals of increasing mutual trust, deepening friendship and cooperation and planning for the future have been fulfilled.

I. Creating a New Landscape for the Development the Sino-Russian Strategic Partnership of Coordination

Yang said this year marks the 10^th anniversary of the signing of the "Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation". Guided by the principles and spirits of the treaty over the past 10 years, the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of coordination experienced unprecedented development, with mutual political trust being continuously enhanced, pragmatic cooperation being comprehensively promoted, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges flourishing. The two countries are having increasingly close coordination and cooperation on international and regional affairs.

During the visit to Russia, President Hu Jintao held talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, and met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The two sides had a comprehensive review of the accomplishments of bilateral relations over the past 10 years since the signing of the "Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation" and had an in-depth exchange of views on the planning for the future development of bilateral relations for the next 10 years as well as major international and regional issues of mutual interest. Broad consensus was reached. President Hu pointed out the next 10 years will be a critical period for the development and revitalization of China and Russia. The two countries are facing important opportunities to deepen the strategic partnership of coordination in an all-round manner. Both sides should always adhere to the concept of lasting peace and generational friendship, deepen strategic mutual trust, and increase political mutual help. China is willing to work together with Russia to abide by the spirit of the treaty, vigorously carry forward the concept of lasting peace and generational friendship, deepen bilateral strategic mutual trust, and increase mutual support on matters concerning each other's core interests. The two sides should expand pragmatic cooperation in various fields in the spirit of mutual understanding and win-win cooperation. The two sides should be committed to developing the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination featuring equality, mutual trust, mutual support, common prosperity, and generational friendship and pushing bilateral relations to achieve more new and tangible results and further benefit the two peoples.

President Medvedev spoke highly of the great achievements of China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination. He pointed out that the Russia-China relations have reached an unprecedented high level and the two countries have established an efficient, honest cooperative relationship. Russia is very satisfied with the development of bilateral relations over the past 10 years. The Russian side said that Russia-China relationship is of great significance not only to the two countries, but also to the whole world. Russia is willing to work with China to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields and jointly push forward the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination.

President Hu and President Medvedev drew a blueprint for the pragmatic cooperation between China and Russia for the next 10 years. He put forward the general goal of bringing the bilateral trade volume to USD100 billion by 2015 and USD200 billion by 2020. They reached important consensuses on improving the mechanism of Sino-Russian investment promotion meeting, expanding the scale of mutual investment, comprehensively promoting the cooperation in the energy sector, actively exploring new ways of technology and innovation cooperation, expanding and deepening regional cooperation. They also announced the establishment of China-Russia strategic energy partnership.

The two countries issued a joint statement of the Chinese and Russian heads of state on the10th anniversary of the signing of the Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, which stated the important international and demonstration implications of the treaty and stressed that the strategic coordination between China and Russia based upon the treaty is conducive to the establishment of a just and rational new international order and to the establishment of a multi-polar world and the democratization of international relations. The two sides decided to take the development of the Sino-Russian relations as one of the priorities in their foreign policies, continue to maintain close high-level exchanges, increase mutual trust, and firmly support each other's choice of development paths. The two sides decided to support each other to maintain sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and promote the friendship between the two peoples so as to build a solid social basis for the further development of bilateral relations. The two sides will further strengthen cooperation and coordination in international and regional affairs and make unremitting efforts to safeguard regional and global peace, security and stability and promote the establishment of a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity. President Hu and President Medvedev also addressed the concert in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the "Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation". They stressed that both sides should make joint efforts to ensure that China-Russia good-neighborly and friendly cooperation will pass on from generation to generation.

Two heads of state signed a joint statement on the current international situation and major international issues. The relevant departments and enterprises signed seven cooperation documents covering finance, electricity, communications, renewable energy and other areas.

II. Enhancing the China-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership in an All-Round Manner

Yang said China and Kazakhstan are friendly neighbors and strategic partners. Over the past nearly 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral relations between China and Kazakhstan have seen rapid and sound development. The two sides have maintained high-level exchanges. Political mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation, and international cooperation have reached an unprecedented high level.

During the visit to Kazakhstan, President Hu Jintao held talks with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and had a meeting with Prime Minister Karim Masimov. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the relationship between China and Kazakhstan and major international and regional issues of mutual interest. President Hu and President Nazarbayev jointly reviewed and summed up the history, achievements and experiences of bilateral relations in the past nearly 20 years. They jointly announced the development of China-Kazakhstan comprehensive strategic partnership and made strategic plans and arrangements for the future development of Sino-Kazakh relations. President Hu put forward a six-point proposal on the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan. He stressed that China and Kazakhstan need to become political partners having good faith and mutual trust, become economic and trade partners enjoying mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, become cultural partners learning from each other, become technology partners seeking for co-innovation, become security partners staying in solidarity and helping each other, and become international partners supporting each other.

President Nazarbayev fully agreed with the important views expressed by President Hu on the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan. He said that Kazakhstan will continue to unswervingly pursue the friendly policy towards China. Kazakhstan is willing to work with China to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership, increase political mutual trust, and maintain high-level exchanges and exchanges between governmental and legislative bodies. Kazakhstan is willing to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with China in various fields, enhance security cooperation with China, and consolidate consultation and coordination with China on international and regional issues.

During the visit, the two presidents signed a joint statement, which stated that developing China-Kazakhstan bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership is a priority in their respective foreign policies. The two countries will continue to enhance political mutual trust, establish and launch the prime ministers' regular meeting mechanism, promote the pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and drive forward the cultural, local and environmental cooperation. The two countries will jointly combat the "three forces" and maintain communication and coordination on major international and regional issues.

III. Establishing and Developing the China-Ukraine Strategic Partnership

Yang said China and Ukraine are good friends and good partners and the two peoples enjoy a profound traditional friendship. Since China and Ukraine established the diplomatic relations 20 years ago, China-Ukraine relations have been developing smoothly, the political mutual trust has been increasing and the cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results. President Hu's visit is of great significance to promoting the long-term development of China-Ukraine relations.

During the visit to Ukraine, President Hu Jintao exchanged opinions with President Viktor Yanukovych, Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn of Ukraine's Parliament and Prime Minister Mikola Azarov on deepening the China-Ukraine relations. The two sides comprehensively reviewed the achievements and experiences of the bilateral relationship since establishing the diplomatic relations nearly 20 years ago and exchanged views on the further development of the bilateral relations as well as issues of common concern. President Hu put forward a four-point proposal on developing the bilateral relations: strengthening political mutual trust and mutual support and laying the political foundation for the China-Ukraine strategic partnership; comprehensively promoting the pragmatic cooperation and consolidating the material foundation for the China-Ukraine strategic partnership; expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges and consolidating the social basis of the China-Ukraine strategic partnership; and working closely in international and regional affairs and expanding the multilateral basis of the China-Ukraine strategic cooperation.

President Yanukovych said President Hu's visit to Ukraine is of great significance for it injected new impetus into the development of China-Ukraine relations and upgraded the bilateral ties to a new height. He fully agreed with President Hu's views on developing the bilateral relations. He said Ukraine would like to maintain the high-level exchanges with China, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields as well as local exchanges and cooperation, enhance the friendship and feelings between the two peoples and strengthen the consultation and coordination in international and regional issues so as to raise the bilateral cooperation in various fields to a new level and constantly push forward the bilateral strategic partnership.

President Hu and President Yanukovych jointly announced the establishment and development of China-Ukraine strategic partnership and identified a new positioning of the China-Ukraine relations, symbolizing that China-Ukraine relations have entered a new stage of the development. The two heads of state agreed that the development of bilateral relations is facing an unprecedented significant opportunity. Both sides should address the bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective and take the establishment and development of the China-Ukraine strategic partnerships as a new starting point to continuously enhance the political mutual trust, push the pragmatic cooperation to achieve breakthroughs in the principle of mutual benefit, win-win progress and complementary advantages, strengthen the communication and coordination in international and regional affairs and safeguard the regional and global peace and stability.

The two heads of state signed and issued a joint statement on establishing and developing the China-Ukraine strategic partnership. The two sides decided to establish and develop the bilateral strategic partnership of friendly cooperation, equality and mutual trust in an all-round and long-term manner, consolidate the political mutual trust, strengthen the cooperation in the promising fields, seek new opportunities to strengthen mutually beneficial exchanges and promote the common development and prosperity of the two countries. The relevant departments and enterprises of the two countries signed a number of cooperation documents covering agriculture, energy, power, science, technology, innovation and other areas.

IV. Planning the Future Development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in a Comprehensive Manner

Yang said the current international and regional situation is undergoing profound and complicated changes and the SCO is facing new opportunities of further development. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the SCO, and the Astana summit is of great significance to the future development of SCO.

President Hu Jintao delivered an important speech titled "Peaceful Development and Generational Friendship" at the summit. He stressed that the Shanghai Spirit that features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and seeking common development has become the core values ​​of the SCO. Under the new situation, all member states should promote the Shanghai Spirit, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, safeguard peaceful development, consolidate generational friendship and strive to build the SCO into a regional cooperation organization with sound mechanism, smooth coordination, comprehensive cooperation, openness and harmony. President Hu raised important advice on the planning for the development of SCO in the next 10 years: maintaining good-neighborly friendliness and building a harmonious region; strengthening SCO's abilities to resist the real threats and ensuring the long-term stability of local region; promoting the realization of regional economic integration and enhancing the common development of countries in this region; strengthening the cultural and people-to-people cooperation and promoting generational friendship between the people. China is the 2011-2012 presidency of the SCO. Participating leaders unanimously endorsed President Hu's initiative on setting 2011 to 2012 as the year of good-neighborly friendship for the SCO. They expressed that they would actively support China to perform the duties as the chair and push the SCO to observe the Shanghai Spirit so as to build a harmonious region of lasting peace, common prosperity and generational friendship.

During the summit, the heads of state of SCO member states jointly issued the Astana Declaration of the 10th Anniversary the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Joint Communiqué of the Meeting of the Council of the Heads of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

V. Promoting the Further Development of Relations between China and the Related Countries

Yang said during the trip, President Hu Jintao took every opportunity on the multilateral occasions to have extensive engagements with the leaders of other countries and exchanged views with them on the promotion of bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

During the Astana Summit, President Hu held the bilateral meetings with Tajik President Rahmon and Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva and had talks with leaders of other countries. They had an in-depth exchange of views and reached broad consensus on strengthening bilateral exchanges, enhancing mutual political trust, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation and promoting the healthy and stable development of the SCO.

At the meeting with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of on further developing bilateral relations. President Hu expounded China's position on the Iranian nuclear issue. He stressed that seeking a proper and complete solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiations is the fundamental way to ensure Iran's rights of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. He hoped that Iran could take all positive factors conductive to advancing dialogue process, hold dialogues with the six countries as earlier as possible, and take concrete steps on the confidence-building measures to facilitate the dialogue process. President Ahmadinejad said that Iran is willing to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and cooperation, is ready to have dialogues with the six countries, and is willing to maintain communication with China.

During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, President Hu met with President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa. The two heads of state agreed to work together to consolidate the traditional friendship, expand pragmatic cooperation and bring the comprehensive cooperation partnership featuring mutual support and everlasting friendship to a new height.

Yang concluded that President Hu's visits have built up or enhanced the strategic partnership with the countries he visited and have written a new chapter of friendly cooperation. China will take President Hu's Visits as an opportunity to develop strategic partnership with Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. China will work together with other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, adhere to the Shanghai Spirit, enhance political mutual trust, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, strive for the healthy and rapid development of the SCO, bring more well-beings for the people of member states and promote the lasting peace and common prosperity of this region.