Russian President Vladimir Putin accepts an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency (full text)

　

Xinhua News Agency, Moscow, May 15th Russian President Vladimir Putin recently accepted a written interview with Xinhua News Agency.

The following is the full text of the interview:

Q: Last March, after the Supreme Leader was re-elected as president of China, he chose Russian for his first visit. This year, after you were re-elected as Russian President, you chose China as your first visit destination. We have noticed that the Chairman of the Supreme Leader has met with you for more than 40 times on bilateral and multilateral occasions over the past ten years. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. How do you evaluate your interaction with the Chairman of the Supreme Leader? What are your expectations for this visit to China? What are the prospects for the development of Sino-Russian relations?

A: Xinhua News Agency is the world’s major news agency and one of the most authoritative world news agencies. I am glad to have the opportunity to share my views on the development prospects of Russia-China partnership with millions of audiences of Xinhua News Agency. I want to emphasize that the Russian-Chinese partnership has always been based on the principles of equality and mutual trust, mutual respect for sovereignty and consideration of each other’s interests. A wise and far-sighted politician and state activist like President People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Supreme Leader, has played a decisive and unique role in the development of bilateral relations.

I first met the Chairman of the Supreme Leader in March 2010, and since then, we have often met and talked. He showed a humble, friendly, frank and pragmatic style in communication. Every meeting between us is not only an exchange between old friends, which is also very important for everyone, but also a fruitful exchange of views on the most pressing issues on the bilateral and international agendas.

I remember happily that last March, after the Supreme Leader was re-elected as President People’s Republic of China (PRC), his first visit was a state visit to Russia. In 2013, as the head of state of China, he also took Russia as his first visit country. On the first day of our visit last year, we spent nearly five hours together, held one-on-one in-depth talks, and took part in rich formal activities the next day.

It is the unprecedented high level of strategic partnership between the two countries that made me decide to choose China as my first country to visit after I officially took office as President of the Russian Federation.

I have pointed out many times that our two peoples have a long and profound tradition of friendship and cooperation, which is also one of the most important foundations of bilateral relations. During the Second World War, soldiers of the Soviet Union and China fought side by side against Japanese militarism. We remember and speak highly of the contribution made by the people of China to the common victory. It was China that contained the huge forces of Japanese militarists, thus enabling the Soviet Union to concentrate on crushing Nazism in Europe. Of course, we would also like to thank our friends in China for caring for Soviet memorial facilities and remembering those Soviet citizens who fought for the liberation of China and helped the people of China in their revolutionary struggle and just struggle against the invaders. Today, Russian-Chinese relations have reached the highest level in history, and even in the face of the severe international situation, the relations between the two countries have continued to strengthen.

This year is a special year for both countries. October 1st is the 75th anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China (PRC). China is welcoming this important historical moment with outstanding achievements. As tried and tested and reliable friends, we are equally happy with China’s achievements.

The day after People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded, it was first recognized by the Soviet Union. Therefore, we will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in early October.

For three quarters of a century, our two countries have gone through a long and sometimes tortuous road, and we have fully learned the historical experience of different stages of development of bilateral relations. Today, we realize that complementary advantages are injecting strong impetus into the all-round and rapid development of bilateral relations.

What is important is that contemporary Russian-Chinese relations are independent of ideology and political situation. The multi-level development of bilateral relations is a conscious strategic choice, which is based on the fundamental interests of the two countries, deep mutual trust, strong public support and sincere friendship between the two peoples. We work together to safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity and security. In a broader sense, we promote the prosperity and development of Russia and China by expanding equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in the economic and cultural fields; By strengthening foreign policy coordination, we have promoted the construction of a fair multipolar world order. All these determine the bright future of our comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in the new era.

Q: At present, pragmatic economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia is developing continuously. Last year, the two countries exceeded the $200 billion trade target jointly established by the Supreme Leader Chairman and you ahead of schedule. What do you think are the new features and highlights of the current Sino-Russian pragmatic economic and trade cooperation? In the future, in what areas will China-Russia economic and trade cooperation make greater breakthroughs?

A: Russia-China economic and trade relations have developed rapidly, demonstrating the ability to continuously cope with external challenges and crises. In the past five years, the trade volume between the two countries has doubled. In 2019, the trade volume between the two countries was US$ 111 billion, which reached US$ 227.8 billion last year, and over 90% of the settlement between companies in the two countries was conducted in their own currencies. Therefore, a more accurate statement should be that the current bilateral trade volume is about 20 trillion rubles, or nearly 1.6 trillion yuan. China has been Russia’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, while Russia’s ranking as China’s trading partner rose to the fourth place in 2023.

Russia and China have long made an independent choice to develop equal and mutually beneficial economic cooperation. We are carrying out strategic cooperation in the energy field continuously and systematically, and some new big projects are under way. Russian supply of agricultural products to China market has a good momentum, initiatives in the fields of investment and production are being implemented, and the transportation and logistics corridor between the two countries is running steadily and growing. Against the background of global turmoil and western economic chaos, these achievements once again prove that adhering to the principle of sovereignty and following national interests is our correct strategic choice.

As for our planning, the two sides will strive to cooperate more closely in the fields of industry and high technology, space and peaceful use of nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and other innovations. Of course, we will continue to create good legal and organizational conditions for this purpose and develop transportation and financial infrastructure. I am full of confidence in the grand prospects of Russian-Chinese economic relations.

Q: Sino-Russian friendship has been passed down from generation to generation, and the cultures of the two countries have been deeply blended. This year and next are the Sino-Russian cultural years jointly determined by the Chairman of the Supreme Leader and you. In your opinion, what role does cultural exchange play in deepening cooperation and friendship between China and Russia? What is your personal understanding and experience of China culture?

A: I have said many times, and I reiterate today that Russia and China are closely linked from generation to generation, not only because they share a long common border, but also because of close cultural ties and personnel exchanges. In the distant past, scattered knowledge of China was introduced into Russia through businessmen. Then the earliest embassy appeared, and a Russian religious mission was organized in Beijing, which made a precious contribution to the collection and arrangement of knowledge about China. Since the 19th century, Chinese studies have risen in Russia, and then Chinese teaching and research departments have appeared in Russian universities to carry out dictionary compilation.

During the reign of Catherine II, China art became fashionable. The Queen’s private residence, China Hall in Catherine Palace, is decorated with a large number of lacquered boards in China. Unfortunately, these interiors were damaged during the Great Patriotic War, but now they are being repaired with the help of experts from China.

Today’s Russian society is also very interested in China’s culture and art. At present, there are about 90,000 primary and middle school students studying Chinese in Russia. The creative group tours and exhibitions in which artists from China participate are always a great success. With the cancellation of quarantine restrictions, the tourist flow continues to soar. More than 730,000 Russian citizens visited China last year.

I know that the people of China are also eager for a closer understanding of Russian literature, art and tradition. Our outstanding troupes and musicians regularly perform in China, museums hold various exhibitions, and Russian films are shown in major cinemas. We are very happy to continue to show our Russian friends the colorful history, creation and cultural heritage of multi-ethnic Russia.

For this reason, President Supreme Leader and I have designated 2024 and 2025 as Russian-Chinese cultural years. This large-scale project coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with colorful activities. A series of major events have been held, such as the first large-scale celebration of the China Lunar New Year in Moscow; The Russian Winter Festival was held in Beijing and Xi ‘an, so that the people of China could learn about the traditional Russian festivals and customs.

Like China, Russia firmly adheres to the principle of cultural diversity, advocates the equality of different cultures and the protection of national identity. Such important issues are the focus of the 2023 St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum. The delegation of China actively participated in this forum. Free discussion in the forum is particularly important at present, because it helps to carry out respectful dialogue among different civilizations.

We plan to launch some new activities, including the international pop song contest "International Singing Contest". China is an important partner of this project, which aims to popularize the genre of national songs.

Speaking of my personal views on China culture, I would like to point out that I have always been deeply interested in further exploring the unique and unique China tradition, especially during my visit to China. I know a lot about China Wushu, which is very popular in Russia. I have great respect for China’s philosophy. My family is also crazy about China, and some of them are learning Chinese.

Q: Russia holds the rotating presidency of the BRICS countries this year, and this year is also the first year of "Greater BRICS Cooperation". Please introduce Russia’s work priorities and plans as the rotating presidency of the BRICS countries, and how to promote the harmonious integration of new members into the BRICS cooperation mechanism? How do you evaluate the role of the BRICS mechanism on the world stage? How to promote the "big BRICS cooperation" to achieve greater results?

A: Russia’s work as the rotating presidency of the BRICS countries is progressing steadily. Work in the three areas of cooperation, namely, political security, economy and finance, and people-to-people exchanges, has been carried out in an all-round way.

Of course, one of the main goals of Russia’s rotating presidency of the BRICS countries is to promote the organic integration of new members into the BRICS countries and actively help them integrate into the existing cooperation mechanisms.

Another key point is to continue to carry out coordination work, enhance the authority of BRICS countries in global affairs and enhance their ability to promote the construction of a more democratic, stable and just international relations system. What I want to emphasize separately is that BRICS cooperation adheres to the spirit of mutual respect, equal treatment and open consultation. This is why the mechanism is so attractive to countries in the "global South" and "global East". In the eyes of these countries, the BRICS countries are a platform destined to make their voices heard and valued.

Russian departments, business circles and all walks of life have prepared an extremely rich agenda for assuming the rotating presidency, including strengthening cooperation in a wide range of fields such as finance, agriculture, energy, intellectual property rights, health care, education and space. In addition, the discussion of experts in various fields also covers highly specialized and knowledge-intensive topics, such as nanotechnology, nuclear medicine and biotechnology.

During the rotating presidency, more than 200 events are planned, and many professional events have been held. In addition to expert meetings and ministerial meetings, a large number of cultural activities and activities involving young people are planned. The BRICS Games will be held in Kazan in June, and the BRICS leaders’ meeting in October will also be held in Kazan.

Q: At present, multilateral mechanisms such as the BRICS countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are uniting the countries of the "global South" in the spirit of equality, openness, transparency and tolerance, and promoting the reform of the global governance system. The Chairman of the Supreme Leader has repeatedly stressed that he is willing to strengthen multilateral strategic cooperation with Russia and practice true multilateralism. How do you evaluate the cooperation between China and Russia under multilateral mechanisms such as BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation? What role do you think the cooperation between China and Russia in the international arena plays in promoting the building of a community of human destiny?

A: The earth is the cradle of mankind and our common home. We are all residents with equal rights on the earth. I believe that most people in the world agree with this view. However, countries that call themselves "golden billion people" don’t seem to think so. Western elites attached to the United States refuse to respect the diversity of civilization and culture and deny the traditional values formed by generations. In order to maintain their global rule, the western elites have given themselves the right to command the people of other countries, telling them who can make friends and cooperate with each other and who can’t, refusing to recognize their right to choose their own development model and ignoring their sovereign interests. Western elites are still desperately trying to protect their own welfare by harming the interests of other countries, so they use various neo-colonial means.

Russia and its partners are of course dissatisfied with this situation. With our active participation, some multilateral organizations and mechanisms independent of the West have been established and run smoothly, and their operating basis is the principles of equality, justice, openness, respect and consideration of each other’s interests.

The SCO and BRICS countries are convincing examples of this mutually beneficial cooperation. As the key fulcrum of the emerging multipolar world order, they have firmly established their own position. The SCO and the BRICS countries have become the authoritative international platforms for vigorous development. Within their framework, the participants are carrying out constructive cooperation in the political, security, economic and humanities fields. What is enough to prove this point is that other countries are increasingly interested in the activities of the SCO and the BRICS countries, and the number of their members is increasing.

Russia and China hold similar or identical positions on key issues on the international agenda. We all support the leading position of international law, and advocate the construction of balanced, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable global and regional security, while giving play to the core coordinating role of the United Nations. None of us accept the western attempt to impose an order based on lies, hypocrisy and imaginary rules.

Q: China has always been committed to a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis. On April 16th, when meeting with German Chancellor Scholz, the Chairman of the Supreme Leader put forward four principles for the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. On February 24th, 2023, China issued China’s Position on Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis. How do you evaluate China’s proposition and efforts to solve the Ukrainian crisis politically?

A: We positively evaluate China’s position on resolving the Ukrainian crisis. China is well aware of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis and its global geopolitical influence, which is also reflected in the 12-point proposal of China’s Position on Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis issued by China in February 2023. The ideas and suggestions set out in the document show the sincere desire of our friends in China to contribute to stabilizing the situation.

The four principles for the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis recently put forward by the Chairman of the Supreme Leader are an organic supplement to the above-mentioned documents. China has put forward pragmatic and constructive measures, that is, to achieve peace, we should give up self-interest and constantly increase tensions, and minimize the negative impact of conflicts on the world economy and the stability of the global industrial chain supply chain. China’s measures have developed the idea that we must abandon the cold war mentality, adhere to the principle of indivisibility of security, abide by the norms of international law, and abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and pay attention to its comprehensiveness and interrelation, which could have served as the basis for a political and diplomatic process that not only considers Russia’s security concerns, but also helps to establish long-term, stable and peaceful peace.

Regrettably, these initiatives have not received a positive response from Ukraine and its western supporters. They don’t want to have an equal, frank and open dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests, nor do they want to discuss the causes and roots of the current global crisis, and one of the tragic manifestations of this crisis is the situation in Ukraine. Why? Because it is the policies they have pursued in recent years and decades that have led to the current global turmoil.

On the contrary, the western elite stubbornly tried to "punish", isolate and weaken Russia, and provided funds and weapons to the Ukrainian authorities. They imposed nearly 16,000 unilateral illegal sanctions on China, threatened to dismember our country and tried to illegally occupy our overseas assets. They turned a blind eye to the rise of Nazism and the terrorist acts committed by Ukraine on Russian territory.

We hope to solve this conflict comprehensively, sustainably and justly through peaceful means. We are open to dialogue on Ukraine, but these negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in this conflict, including our own. This should be a serious dialogue around global stability and ensuring the security of the opposing sides, including Russia’s security. Moreover, these must be reliable guarantees, and the main problem facing Russia is precisely the lack of reliability of any guarantee, because the ruling group of the country we are facing prefers a world order that is not based on international law, but a "rule-based order." They talk a lot about rules, but no one has seen these rules, and no one agrees with them. Moreover, with the changes in the current political situation and the interests of the rule writers, these rules are still changing.

Russia is willing to negotiate and has conducted negotiations. On April 15th, 2022, we drafted a draft future peace agreement with the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul. The document takes into account the requirements of the Ukrainian delegation, including ensuring Ukraine’s future security. In addition, the head of the Ukrainian delegation initialled the main provisions of the document. Western partners persuaded us that it is necessary to create conditions for the final approval and signing of the agreement, the main point of which is to withdraw Russian troops from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. We did this. However, instead of signing a peace agreement, Uzbekistan unexpectedly announced the termination of the negotiations. As Ukrainian officials later said, this is also because their western allies advised them to continue fighting and jointly defeat Russia strategically. We have never refused to negotiate.

Q: On February 29th this year, when you delivered your State of the Union address, you comprehensively expounded Russia’s development tasks and measures in the next six years. On March 20th, when you met with representatives of the campaign team, you called for building a brand-new Russia to make the country stronger, more attractive and more efficient. Excuse me, what are your plans for national construction during your new term? How to achieve the set goals?

A: The tasks put forward in the State of the Union address, such as promoting the development of various regions of the country, developing the economic and social fields, solving the population problem, increasing the birth rate, providing support for families with children, and eliminating poverty and inequality, are of great practical significance. We know the scale of these tasks and how to solve them. We have the people’s will to unite, the necessary resources and potential, and the rich experience of cooperation between the state, enterprises and civil society.

In addition, Russia has done a lot of work in building an effective economic management system in recent years. To this end, the government and relevant departments use a large number of data, modern digital platforms and computer networks that can cover all areas of the national economy and Russia. We will continue to promote this work and improve the efficiency of long-term planning and implementation of various plans and national projects.

According to purchasing power parity, Russia has now ranked among the top five in the world. Our task now is to become the fourth largest economy in the world, and the most important thing is to improve the quality and efficiency of development in various fields and enhance the well-being of our citizens.

A qualitative change in the economy is inseparable from the steady improvement of the level of labor remuneration. To achieve this goal, we plan to improve labor productivity-increase the frontier application of scientific research results, promote new technologies and innovations, promote automation and robotics, and create modern jobs. At the same time, we will train excellent experts with modern thinking and encourage them to engage in new production and join the industrial and social fields.

Of course, our key task is to train national and municipal management talents. We have a series of related plans, competitions and projects, which provide a broad space at the federal and regional levels for talented patriots who are willing to realize themselves and are willing to take responsibility and honestly serve Russia. It is important to prove yourself in labor and various tests and defend the motherland and the people.

I believe that we will definitely achieve all the above strategic plans. In this regard, we are willing to cooperate with partners all over the world, including China, our good neighbor and reliable friend.