China and the Soviet Union shared the longest land border in the world. The evolution of their relations went through ups and downs. The 1950s saw the all round growth of friendship and cooperation between the countries. Sino-Soviet relations, however, began to deteriorate in the 1960s, leading to armed border clashes. The two countries were in a state of stalemate and confrontation in the 1970s. After the convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1979, China took initiatives to normalize its relations with the Soviet Union and met positive response from it. The two countries agreed to hold talks at vice foreign minister's level on improving relations alternatively in each other's capital from the second half of September, 1979.


The first round of talks on state relations between China and the Soviet Union were held in Moscow between September 25-November 30, 1979, but no progress was made owing to differences over principles between the two sides. Due to Soviet aggression against Afghanistan, the talks were postponed for more than two years. They were resumed in October, 1982, and the special envoys of the two governments held consultations at vice foreign minister's level on improving Sino-Soviet relations in Beijing and Moscow alternatively. The Chinese side pointed out that the Soviet Union's support to Viet Nam in invading Kampuchea, its massive deployment of troops along Sino-Soviet border and Sino-Mongolian border and its armed occupation of Afghanistan constituted three major obstacles to normalizing relations between the two countries. After 12 rounds of consultations held by the special envoys of the two governments in six years between October, 1982 and June, 1988, the Soviet Union began to withdraw its troops from Mongolia and Afghanistan and stated that it would make efforts to help Viet Nam withdraw from Kampuchea. As visible progress had been made in removing the three major obstacles, the two countries decided to end political consultations between the special envoys of the two governments and to directly make preparations for normalizing Sino-Soviet relations. The foreign ministers of the two countries exchanged visits in the end of 1988 and early 1989 and issued a joint nine-point statement on Kampuchea. Both sides also agreed on the date for Gorbachev, president of the Supreme Soviet and general secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party, to visit China.


Gorbachev paid an official visit to China from May 15 to 18, 1989. During the second day of the visit, Deng Xiaoping, chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, had a historic meeting with Gorbachev. Deng Xiaoping first mentioned the message he had sent to Gorbachev three years before in which he expressed the hope for removing the three major obstacles between China and the Soviet Union and for an early meeting and dialogue with Gorbachev. Gorbachev said that he remembered Deng's message and that "this is helpful to us in thinking things over." Deng Xiaoping said that the key was that there should be equality among countries. China would not invade other countries and did not pose any threat to them. He reviewed the history of aggression against and oppression and plunder of old China by imperialist powers and the twists and turns in the relations between China and the Soviet Union and between the parties of the two countries. Deng stressed that reviewing the past would enable us to move forward on a firmer basis. He said that this high level meeting should aim to end the past and open up the future. Gorbachev agreed. He said that the Soviet Union had its share of responsibility for deterioration in the bilateral relations. The two leaders agreed that they should leave the past behind them and take a forward looking approach and that they should take concrete steps to develop Sino-Soviet relations. At the end of the visit, a joint communiqué was issued by the two sides which laid the foundation for the two countries to develop a new type relationship.


Quite unlike the alliance relations between them in the 1950s or the relations of confrontation and stalemate in the 1960s and 1970s. Sino-Soviet ties after the visit evolved into a relationship of good neighborliness, friendship, mutual benefit and cooperation based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.