Meeting leaders of China and Russia

After the talks, the leaders of the two countries took part in a gala dinner, and then opened the Year of Culture of Russia and China. "In a famous song of that time, 75 years ago — it is often performed in our time — there is a phrase that has become a catch phrase: "Russian and Chinese are brothers forever," Putin noted.

On May 17, the President of Russia will travel to Harbin, where he will take part in the opening ceremony of the VIII Russian-Chinese Expo and the IV Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation. The next meeting of the two leaders is expected to take place in October at the BRICS summit in Kazan. The Kremlin reported that Beijing has already confirmed its participation in advance.

What did the leaders agree on? Following the talks in Beijing, a joint declaration on deepening comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation was published. At the beginning of the document, it is emphasized that relations between Russia and China are not blocky and confrontational, like the military and political alliances of the Cold War, and are not directed against third countries.

"As independent centers of the emerging multipolar world, Russia and China will make full use of the potential of bilateral relations in order to promote this process on an equal and orderly basis and democratize international relations, consolidate efforts to build a just and rational multipolar world order," the document says.

He declares cooperation on a wide range of issues — from combating climate change and developing ethical principles for working with artificial intelligence to curbing neo-colonialism and preventing the falsification of the history of World War II. The two states also agreed to increase mutual investments, bilateral trade and the share of national currencies in it, increase oil and gas supplies, deepen cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy, including joint construction of nuclear power plants, and create new transit routes.

The text of the declaration also notes Moscow's approval of Beijing's "objective and unbiased position" on Ukraine. "The parties note the need to stop any steps contributing to the prolongation of hostilities and further escalation of the conflict, urge to prevent its transition into an uncontrolled phase, emphasize the importance of dialogue as the optimal form of solving the Ukrainian crisis," the document says.

Following the talks between the leaders of Russia and China, ten more documents were signed:

1)the concept of the development of Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, whose territory is divided between China and Russia;

2)Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China;

3)the plan of joint actions on sanitary protection of the territory between Rospotrebnadzor and the General Customs Administration of the People's Republic of China;

4)protocol on phytosanitary requirements for Jerusalem artichoke exported from Russia to China;

5)protocol on inspection, quarantine and veterinary sanitary requirements for beef also exported from Russia to China;

6)cooperation agreement between ITAR-TASS and Xinhua News Agency;

7)Memorandum on the holding of the Expert Forum of the BRICS countries;

8)Memorandum of Cooperation between Gazprom Media Holding and the Media Corporation of China (CMG);

9)memorandum of cooperation between Delovaya Rossiya and the Chinese Committee for the Promotion of International Trade;

10)agreement on the creation of a cross-border reserve "Land of Big cats".