China and Russia will hold their first joint military exercises from August 18-25, according to China's Ministry of Defense. This historic event has far-reaching political and military implications, demonstrating the advent of a new stage in the two countries' relations and mutual trust in terms of military ties. 

Since establishing diplomatic relations, China and Russia have adhered to the principles of good neighborliness and mutually beneficial cooperation while moving the relationship in a healthy direction. This has especially been true since 1996 when the two countries finalized their strategic partnership, built on an equal and trusting basis while looking forward to the 21st century.

The signing of the 2001 Treaty for Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation set in legal stone the sincere hopes of the two peoples for "eternal friendship and never enmity," marking a new phase in the maturity and stability of Sino-Russian relations.

In addition, demarcation of the 4,300-kilometer border was recognized in law, making it a link for "peace, friendship, cooperation and development." This also removed uncertainties that had surrounded political ties and provided security guarantees for future generations and a foundation for deeper growth of bilateral ties.

This year's joint communiqué signals that relations have entered their best-ever phase. These joint military exercises are the result of the two countries reaching an important stage in relations and a manifestation of the pragmatism demonstrated by both sides.

In recent years, China and Russia have increased mutual trust and the frequency of high-level visits in the spirit of mutual respect and support for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The two powers have set up a mechanism for regular high-level meetings and opened a hotline for summit exchanges on important affairs. This helps their coordinated stance not only on major international matters but also in terms of regional security and cooperation in the process of striving to achieve a multi-polar world.

To confront new threats and new challenges, the two countries have teamed up for strategic cooperation conducted within an international framework in order to promote a new outlook on security based on equality and mutual trust, a new order of international politics and economics built on fairness and impartiality and consensus on the direction of 21st century world order.

As President Hu Jintao has stated: "In recent years, strategic cooperation of the two countries has deepened by the day and political trust of each other has also increased. Cooperation in many fields has born fruit, bringing substantial benefit to the peoples of both countries and contributing a great deal to regional and global peace, stability and development."

As far as the two nations are concerned, cooperation is the only way to enjoy mutual benefit, and trust is the guarantor for this sort of cooperation. As a special demonstration of growing friendship and understanding, joint military exercises serve to highlight and reinforce this trust.

Looking back, one can see China and Russia have experienced the initial phase, "the ending of the past and the beginning of the future," the first phase of "mutually friendly nations," the growing phase of "constructive partnership" and the 1996 leap of "strategic partnership" in the lead up to the current phase of full-blown development.

The Treaty for Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation has pushed relations to an all-time high. On the principles of "non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third countries," China and Russia have kept relations warm, escalating full-scale economic, social and cultural cooperation and enriching the substance of bilateral ties.

Although peace and development are the tenets of our time, the world is still faced with new threats and new challenges, and international relations stand on shifting sand.

China and Russia are important powers with substantial clout on the world stage as both are permanent members of the UN Security Council, committed to a new international order of politics and economics, and to responsibility for protecting world and regional peace and propelling common growth forwards.

The fact that China and Russia can be good neighbors and trusting strategic partners is consistent with the interests of the two countries and their peoples' wishes and, at the same time, with peace and stability for the region and the world. Looking to the future, China and Russia have a lot of room for expanding cooperation, which will further enhance harmony between the two neighbors.

(China Daily August 3, 2005)