On November 2, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko announced that strengthening friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperation with China is a top priority in Russia's foreign policy.
He made this affirmation at the 29th meeting of the Russia-China Commission on preparing for regular meetings between heads of government of the two countries in China.
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister reiterated that to affirm this partnership, the two highest leaders - Russian President Vladimir Putin and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping - have held two direct meetings this year.
During these meetings, the two sides outlined specific tasks to expand trade and economic cooperation. Chernyshenko described the dialogues between the two leaders as systematic and regular, characterized by a very high level of trust and mutual understanding.
Chernyshenko's speech reaffirmed Russia's strong shift towards Asia, especially China, in the context of Moscow facing extensive sanctions from the West related to the conflict in Ukraine.
The "unlimited" partnership announced by both sides in early 2022 has become the foundation for Russia's economic stability. China has emerged as Russia's largest energy buyer, including oil, gas and coal, helping Moscow offset a serious decline in revenue from the traditional European market.
Economic and trade cooperation has exploded in recent years. Bilateral trade turnover hit a record in 2024 and is expected to continue to increase in 2025.
Russia has increased exports of raw materials to China, while increasing imports of Chinese cars, machinery and electronics to fill the void left by Western companies. The intergovernmental committee is responsible for promoting joint projects on energy, infrastructure and high technology, in order to deepen economic relations.
In his speech, Mr. Chernyshenko noted that China is a key partner of Russia in the international arena. This stance reflects the increasingly close coordination between the two countries in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
