Remarks by H.E. Hu Jintao
President of the People's Republic of China
At the Concert Marking the 10th Anniversary of the Signing of
the Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation
Between China and Russia

Moscow, 16 June 2011

Your Excellency President Dmitry Medvedev,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear friends,

We are gathering here today in a warm and friendly atmosphere to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between China and Russia. First, I wish to extend, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, the most sincere greetings and best wishes to President Medvedev, to other Russian friends present here, and to all the Russian people!

Ten years ago, based on a comprehensive review of the experience and achievements in the growth of China-Russia relations, leaders of our two countries, with great vision, signed the Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between China and Russia, laying a solid legal foundation for the development of our bilateral relations in the new century.

Over the past ten years, under the guidance of the Treaty, China-Russia relations have grown in the following aspects.

---- Our relations have become more and more mature thanks to political mutual respect and mutual trust. Our two sides have given each other staunch support on issues concerning each other's sovereignty, security and development interests, those concerning their core interests in particular.

---- Our mutually beneficial economic ties have featured comprehensive progress in practical cooperation. Over the decade, two-way trade between China and Russia had grown over six folds to nearly USD 60 billion last year. Our cooperation in energy, investment, high technology and military technology at sub-national levels has been taken forward across the board.

---- Our traditional friendship has been constantly deepened with mutual learning through cultural and people-to-people interactions. China and Russia both held a number of large-scale cultural and people-to-people exchange programs such as the "Year of Youth Friendship", the "Year of China" in Russia, the "Year of Russia" in China, the "Year of Chinese Language" in Russia, and the "Year of Russian Language" in China. All these activities have cemented the popular support for China-Russia relations.

---- Our strategic coordination has been deepened with close coordination in international affairs. China and Russia collaborated closely on a series of major international and regional issues, promoted the inception of such cooperation mechanisms as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS, advanced world multi-polarization and democracy in international relations, and upheld world peace, security and stability.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our experience over the past ten years has fully demonstrated that the purposes, principles, and spirit enshrined in the Treaty serve the fundamental interests of both China and Russia, and can therefore always stand the test of time with great vitality.

We are now in the second decade of the 21st century. We should seize the opportunities brought by the 10th anniversary of the Treaty to carry forward the spirit of the Treaty and work hard to develop the comprehensive and strategic partnership of coordination featuring equality, trust, mutual support, common prosperity and lasting friendship.

We should continue to trust each other and treat each other with sincerity and as equals. We should firmly support each other in pursuing our own development paths, achieving development and revitalization and safeguarding national core interests, and constantly deepen our strategic and political mutual trust.

We should further boost mutually beneficial, comprehensive and practical cooperation, fully leverage each other's advantages and potential, actively explore new areas and directions of cooperation. In particular, we should strengthen cooperation on big strategic projects in various fields so as to better serve the common development and common prosperity of our two countries.

We should further promote the idea of peace and lasting friendship between China and Russia, scale up cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and enhance heart-to-heart communication between our two peoples, so that our friendship will take root, flourish and remain exuberant for centuries to come.

We should further increase coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, deepen international strategic coordination in an all-round fashion, continue to work for a more just and equitable international political and economic order and uphold our common interests.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, and coordination advocated by the Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between China and Russia has set a good example for developing a new type of state-to-state relationship. The Treaty is not only an important milestone in the history of China-Russia relations, but also a creative endeavor in the history of international relations. I am convinced that with the sustained and smooth development of China-Russia relations, the Treaty will continue to gain more international influence. We are fully confident about the prospects of our bilateral relations. Let's work together to create an even brighter future for China-Russia relations!

Thank you.