China, Russia outline cooperation priorities, urge new type of great-power relations

MOSCOW, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia on Friday laid out the priorities of future bilateral cooperation and called for a new type of great-power relations in the international arena.

The two neighboring giants articulated their common vision in a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership inked during Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing visit to Russia.

CHART THE COURSE FOR FUTURE COOPERATION

The China-Russia relationship, said the statement, has reached an unprecedentedly high level, not only setting a good example of harmonious coexistence of big countries but playing an important role in promoting regional and global peace and security.

Recognizing that it serves the fundamental interests of both nations to advance their ties, the two countries pledged to push forward their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership into a new phase and treat the undertaking as a foreign policy priority of both countries.

The strategic task now, according to the statement, is to translate the advantage of the unprecedentedly high level of political relations into concrete cooperation results in economic, people-to-people and other fields.

Accordingly, the two sides have ratified the 2013-2016 implementation guidelines of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, and set out the priorities in future cooperation so as to enhance both countries' comprehensive national strength and international competitiveness.

Top on the list is to achieve a balanced development of economic cooperation in terms of both quality and quantity and a more diversified trade structure.

With bilateral trade reaching a record high of 88 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, the two countries pledged to further raise the volume to 100 billion dollars by 2015 and 200 billion dollars by 2020.

Meanwhile, the two sides vowed to markedly boost bilateral investment and promote the use of their own currencies in bilateral trade, direct investment and lending.

They will also build a solid strategic cooperative relationship on energy by cooperating actively in the fields of oil, natural gas, coal, electricity and new energy, said the joint statement, adding that they will continue close collaboration in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

In addition, the two sides agreed to boost cooperation in forestry, agriculture, environmental protection, advanced technologies, aviation manufacturing, cross-border transport and youth exchanges.