China's development is neither a challenge nor a threat, but an opportunity for Russia, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang said at a press conference on March 30.

China will firmly follow a road of peaceful development, said the ambassador, attaining its development goals in a peaceful way based on an in-depth study of world history. Liu stressed that China does not have now, nor will it adopt in the future, any type of expansionist policy. The nation's development does not threaten any other nation, including Russia.

The ambassador said that China's development depends on equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries. Such relations offer a vast market and opportunities to other countries. Liu noted that Russia is in a particularly advantageous position in this regard as China's largest neighbor, which should give impetus to Russia's economic development.

Moreover, China's development is conducive to the establishment of a peaceful international environment and the maintenance of good relations with its neighbors. This is vital to Russia's rejuvenation, said Liu.

Sergei Prikhodko, Vladimir Putin's presidential assistant and former deputy chief of the Kremlin administration, recently wrote an article that appeared in Russia's Izvestia to refute the "China threat." Blinded by historical prejudice, those holding such a view obviously have little knowledge of today's China, Prikhodko wrote.

The ambassador noted that Russia's development also provides a significant opportunity to China, and a stable, prosperous and powerful Russia benefits not only China, but also the entire world.

Liu said that accusations concerning illegal Chinese immigrations are groundless. In recent years, he noted, citizen exchanges between the two countries have grown steadily. In 2003 alone, there were 660,000 visits to Russia on tours, and 1.38 million such visits from Russia to China.

The ambassador, quoting Prikhodko's Izvestia article, said, "Reliable statistics show that permanent Chinese citizens living in Russia total no more than 150,000 or 200,000. According to the latest population census taken in Russia, only 35,000 Chinese citizens live in Russia permanently. Therefore, it's sheer nonsense to accuse the Chinese government of 'encouraging' immigration or even 'illegally emigrating' its people to Russia."

China has no intention of "population expansion" into Russia, and no such policies have ever been adopted. The Chinese government now, as always, opposes illegal immigration, the ambassador said. The country has put in place laws and policies and taken effective steps both domestically and through international cooperation to crack down on illegal immigration.

Liu noted that Russia and China have engaged in personnel exchanges that have played a positive role in enhancing the friendship between the two peoples, furthering mutual understanding and stimulating the economies of the two countries.

However, he conceded, some Chinese citizens have in fact stayed in Russia illegally while engaging in trade, and a few have even illegally emigrated to the West via Russia. The Chinese government considers this a grave issue and has cooperated with Russia to settle it. The foreign ministries of both countries have held regular consular consultations on this matter.

During his visit to Russia last May, President Hu Jintao signed a joint declaration with Russian President Vladimir Putin that explicitly proposed establishing a joint working group to solve the immigration problem. Protocols have been exchanged on the establishment of this group, and negotiations are expected to be held soon.

As a result of the efforts by both sides, the number of Chinese citizens illegally staying in Russia has diminished with each passing year. With further bilateral cooperation, the issue of immigration will eventually be settled appropriately.

Careful investigation into allegations of China's "population expansion" into Russia, said Liu, will lead to a fair and honest conclusion.

(China.org.cn by Shao Da, April 1, 2004)