Xi's Russia trip attests new paradigm of ties

BEIJING - Following a diplomatic tradition, Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading for Russia for the first stop of his first foreign tour as China's head of state.

As expected, the trip will consolidate the rock-solid relationship between China and Russia, the two giant neighbors so interwoven in each other's destiny, and set the tone for the direction of their partnership in the next decade.

Moreover, it will leave a historic imprint in setting a new paradigm by demonstrating that the world's two major nations can forge a bond purely based on good-neighborliness, equality and mutual trust, without resorting to old-school alliance or jointly targeting a third party.

The deep sense of trust is on full display as both President Xi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin reiterated that they see each other's country as the principal and most important strategic partner.

In essence, the mutual faith is built on a profound understanding of each other's internal development logic.

As President Xi made it clear in introducing the concept of the "Chinese Dream", China's top task is to achieve self-development and create a better life for its people.

The position and its reasoning appears to be well-understood by Putin, who notably observed that China's rapid economic growth is not a threat to his country, but an opportunity.

Similarly, China appreciated Russia's goal of building a strong and prosperous nation and actively seeking overlapping interests in the process.

The mutual trust is also anchored on an ever-growing across-board cooperation spanning trade, energy, technology, culture and other sectors, and a common aspiration for fostering a fairer and more reasonable global political and economic order.

According to media reports from both countries, a slew of agreements would be inked for broader China-Russia collaboration during Xi's upcoming visit, which would include investment and energy, the two complementary cooperation areas where an upgrade is much needed.

Tasked with the common responsibility to safeguard world peace as  permanent members of the UN Security Council, the two sides are also expected to coordinate positions on global hotspots such as Syria, the Korean Peninsula and Iran.

The China-Russia cooperation on global issues is especially important in the aftermath of a worldwide financial crisis and regional unrest in the Middle East, as they acted as a stabilizing force when sovereign integrity and financial security of many developing nations are at risk.

Xi's visit will become a golden opportunity for both nations to forge strong personal ties at the top and grass-root levels.

President Xi will have a chance to get to know more about Russian leaders and the public when the Tourism Year of China event is launched during his stay to promote people-to-people exchanges.

The world has changed a lot over the past two decades, but the growing China-Russia cooperation remains a constant.

The solid China-Russia partnership stands out on the complex and volatile international landscape because it is truly built on trust, mutual benefit, the win-win principle and a desire for the common good of the world.

Xi's visit will underline such a point and enrich it with a more profound significance.