Xi-Putin Talks & Deals - Breakdown of China-Russia Joint Statement - Li Xi's Hubei Investigation Tour - Support for Soybean Producers
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Page 1: There are just two stories on the page. First, a report on Xi Jinping’s talks with Vladimir Putin in Russia. Xinhua English has the full translated report:
“In the refreshing weather of March in Moscow, Xi arrived at the Kremlin in a motorcade. He was welcomed by the Kremlin's horse guards and greeted by the Kremlin Commandant at the alighting point. Putin held a solemn welcome ceremony for Xi at the St. George's Hall. Accompanied by the majestic welcome music, Xi and Putin walked in big strides on a red carpet from the opposite ends of the hall to meet each other in the center. They had a firm handshake and took photos together. The military band played the national anthems of China and Russia. The two presidents held small-group talks first and then large-group talks.”
Xi said that “consolidating and developing long-term good-neighborly relations with Russia is consistent with historical logic and a strategic choice of China, which will not be changed by any turn of events.” He added that over the past 10 years, ties have “grown from strength to strength, showing the features of being more comprehensive, more practical, and more strategic…No matter how the international landscape may change, China will stay committed to advancing the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, he said.”
“Xi noted that changes unseen in a century are evolving faster and the international balance of power is undergoing a profound shift. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world, China and Russia have natural responsibilities to make joint efforts to steer and promote global governance in a direction that meets the expectations of the international community and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The two sides should support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and jointly resist the interference in internal affairs by external forces, he said, calling on the two sides to enhance communication and coordination on international affairs, especially in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and other multilateral frameworks, practice true multilateralism, oppose hegemonism and power politics, contribute to global post-COVID economic recovery, advance the trend toward a multi-polar world, and promote the reform and improvement of the global governance system.”
They then heard reports from officials of the two countries. “Thanks to joint efforts, China and Russia have enjoyed deepening political mutual trust, convergence of interests, and understanding between the peoples, Xi said, adding that their cooperation in such areas as the economy and trade, investment, energy, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and at the subnational levels have made continued progress. There are a growing number of areas and an even stronger consensus for cooperation…Noting China-Russia cooperation enjoys significant potential and space and is strategic, reliable and stable, Xi said that the two sides need to strengthen overall coordination, boost trade in traditional areas, such as energy, resources, and electromechanical products, continuously enhance the resilience of industrial and supply chains, expand cooperation in such areas as information technology, the digital economy, agriculture and trade in services. They should step up cooperation in areas of innovation and facilitate cross-border logistics and transportation, he added.”
Putin congratulated Xi on his re-election. “He expressed hope that the two sides will make full use of their existing channels of exchange and work for new progress in practical cooperation in various fields, including the economy and trade, investment, energy, space and cross-border transportation and logistics, and bring people-to-people and cultural exchanges in sports and tourism and at subnational levels to new heights. Russia firmly supports China in upholding its legitimate interests on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, Putin said, adding Russia congratulates China on helping to successfully bring about historic outcomes from the talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Beijing, which fully demonstrates China's important status and positive influence as a major country in the world. Russia appreciates China for consistently upholding an objective and impartial position on international affairs, supports the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative China has put forward, and stands ready to further enhance international coordination with China, he said.”
The talks resulted in two joint statements:
Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era
Joint Statement of the President of the People's Republic of China and the President of the Russian Federation on Pre-2030 Development Plan on Priorities in China-Russia Economic Cooperation - Comment: This is more of a broad statement of intent in terms of the areas of cooperation. There are 8 areas of cooperation highlighted: trade; logistics; financial cooperation; energy; supply of metals, fertilisers, chemical products, bulk commodities and mineral resources; technology; industry; and agriculture.
Both of these have been reproduced in the paper today. So I’ll do a breakdown of the first of these below. The Russian readout of the meeting detailed some of the other agreements signed too.
The package of documents signed during the visit includes:
An intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the joint production of television programmes,
Documents concerning cooperation between the National State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) and the China Media Group, and on the exchange of information and cooperation between Russia’s ITAR-TASS news agency and the Xinhua News Agency
Relevant ministries signed memorandums of understanding aimed at deepening cooperation in trade shows and exhibitions, in the management and use of forest resources, in soybean production, as well as industrial and infrastructure cooperation under preferential terms in the Russian Far East.
The Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and the Chinese Academy of Sciences signed a Protocol on Strengthening Cooperation in Fundamental Scientific Research
The Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation and the Chinese Atomic Energy Authority also signed a Comprehensive Long-term Cooperation Programme on fast neutron reactors and closed nuclear fuel cycle development
Relevant state agencies signed memorandums of understanding and cooperation regarding consumer protection and deeper cooperation in the management of state companies
The readout then adds Putin’s comments. He said that “we expect Russian-Chinese trade not only to reach $200 billion” this year and “go beyond this threshold.” “When it comes to investment, our countries have compiled a package of 80 important and promising bilateral projects in various fields worth around $165 billion. Energy cooperation is expanding. Russia is a strategic supplier of oil, natural gas, including LNG, coal, and electricity to China. The construction of nuclear power facilities continues according to schedule. Russian business can meet the Chinese economy’s growing demand for energy, both in terms of the projects currently underway and those that are still in the works. Russian gas supplies to China are to reach at least 98 billion cubic metres by 2030, plus 100 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas. We have just discussed a good project, the new Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline across Mongolia. We have reached agreement on most of the deal’s parameters. Russia will export 50 billion cubic metres of gas from reliable, stable supplies.”
“It is important that our national currencies are increasingly used in bilateral trade. We should continue promoting settlements in national currencies, and expand the reciprocal presence of financial and banking structures in our countries’ markets. As I have already said, at this stage, two-thirds of payments under trade deals between our countries are made in rubles and yuan. We support using Chinese yuan in transactions between the Russian Federation and its partners in Asia, Africa and Latin America. I am sure that these types of payment will grow between Russian businesses and their counterparts in third countries – as I said – payments in yuan.” —-
Comment: On this bit about the use of the RMB, I recommend reading this piece in Alexander Gabuev. He writes that “Russia’s dependency on the yuan is growing rapidly across the board. The share of Russian exports settled in renminbi grew from 0.4% to 14% in the first nine months of 2022, according to Bank of Russia data. Yuan deposits have become available in all major banks, and so the Russian households’ yuan holdings jumped from zero to $6 billion in the same period: that’s 11% of the foreign currency they hold. As Alexandra Prokopenko, a former adviser to the Bank of Russia, demonstrates in her research for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Moscow Stock Exchange also shows demand for yuan going through the roof, with trading in renminbi increasing to 33% from 3% before the war. The number of days when trading in yuan on the exchange exceeds the volume of trade in dollars and euros is constantly growing. These groundbreaking changes can be explained not just by restricted access to the dollar and euro in Russia as the result of sanctions, but also by the tectonic shifts in the geography of Russian trade. Moscow’s imports from the West have crashed because of sanctions, and exports to the West are increasingly affected, too. Against this backdrop, Moscow was forced to shift the majority of its trade to China, which in 2022 accounted for 40% of Russian imports and 30% of exports.”
Back to Putin. He said that “Industrial cooperation is deepening. We have good experience working together in civil aircraft construction, shipbuilding, and auto manufacturing. We stand ready to support Chinese businesses in replacing the Western enterprises that left Russia. Trade in agricultural produce is growing even faster – by 41.4 percent in 2022, when it reached $7 billion in terms of value…”
“Technological sovereignty is the key to sustainability. We propose further improving strategic partnerships in specific industries. By combining our wealth of research capacity and industrial capabilities, Russia and China can become world leaders in information technology, cyber security, and artificial intelligence.”
“Stronger ties between regions help diversify our cooperation, above all in trade and investment. China has become Russia’s leading partner in exploring the economic potential of the Far East. Today investors from China are implementing 52 projects worth $10.8 billion in total on priority development territories, as well as the free port of Vladivostok. In total, Russia and China now have 366 partnerships, including 135 between regions and 231 between municipalities; and 59 Russian regions have agreements with Chinese regions. About 100 municipalities have sister municipalities and partners in China. The transport and logistics infrastructure is being improved. Our countries have a long land border, so the formation of China-Europe railway and road corridors through Russian territory remains an absolute priority in order to meet the needs of growing cargo and passenger traffic. Last year, the Blagoveshchensk-Heihe motor bridge was opened in June, and the Nizhneleninskoye-Tongjiang railway bridge was put into operation in November. The launch of traffic on bridges will reduce the cost and time of transporting goods between Russia and China, expand the geography of trade and increase the volume of transit with Asia-Pacific countries. We believe the cooperation with Chinese partners in developing the transit potential of the Northern Sea Route is promising. As I have said, we are ready to create a joint working body to develop the Northern Sea Route…”
In Putin’s press statement, I’d like to highlight his comments on international affairs:
“When discussing topical international and regional problems, the President and I affirmed that Russia and China’s views on them are identical or very close. We noted the rise of tensions in many regions of the world, and the accumulation of conflict and crisis potential in the global economy and politics. We can see that the practice of applying illegitimate, politically biased sanctions and other restrictions, and the use of other means of unfair competition in the economic struggle is expanding. Seemingly unshakable principles, such as non-interference in internal affairs, the rights of countries to a sovereign model of development, freedom of trade, access to modern technologies and even to education, are being violated. And in this context, Russia and China strongly oppose any state or bloc seeking to harm the legitimate interests of any other country in order to obtain military, political and economic advantages.”
“Of course, we did not ignore developments around Ukraine. We believe that many of the provisions of the peace plan put forward by China are consonant with Russian approaches and can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when the West and Kiev are ready for it. However, so far, we have not seen such readiness on their part. Moreover, I was just informed that while the Chinese President and I were discussing the possibility of implementing the Chinese peace plan – and the Chinese President devoted considerable attention to his peace initiatives during our one-on-one conversation yesterday – the UK deputy defence minister announced that the United Kingdom would supply not only tanks to Ukraine, but also depleted uranium shells. It seems that the West really has decided to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian – no longer in words, but in deeds. But in this regard, I would like to note that if all this comes to pass, then Russia will have to respond accordingly. What I mean is that the collective West is already starting to use weapons with a nuclear component. At the same time, I would like to emphasise that Russia and China pursue an independent and sovereign foreign policy. We jointly work to create a more just and democratic multipolar world order, which should be based on the central role of the UN, its Security Council, international law, and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We consider it important to continue to maintain close coordination within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS, to work in conjunction with the G20, APEC and many other multilateral platforms, and, of course, to continue efforts to link integration processes within the EAEU and the Chinese Belt and Road initiative with an eye to creating the Greater Eurasian Partnership in the future.”
In the joint statement between the two sides, here’s the bit on Ukraine.
“On the Ukraine issue, the two sides believe that the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter must be observed and international law must be respected. The Russian side speaks positively of China’s objective and impartial position on the Ukraine issue. The two sides oppose the practice by any country or group of countries to seek advantages in the military, political and other areas to the detriment of the legitimate security interests of other countries. The Russian side reaffirms its commitment to the resumption of peace talks as soon as possible, which China appreciates. The Russian side welcomes China’s willingness to play a positive role for the political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine crisis and welcomes the constructive proposals set forth in China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis. The two sides point out that to settle the Ukraine crisis, the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be respected, bloc confrontation should be prevented and fanning the flames avoided. The two sides stress that responsible dialogue is the best way for appropriate solutions. To this end, the international community should provide support to the relevant constructive efforts. The two sides call for stopping all moves that lead to tensions and the protraction of fighting to prevent the crisis from getting worse or even out of control. The two sides oppose any unilateral sanctions unauthorized by the UN Security Council.” – Comment: From my perspective, the highlighted sentence is the crux of this statement. The three requirements that it outlines for a settlement are that all parties must discuss a new European security architecture that takes into account Russian security interests, NATO must fundamentally step back, and the West should end its diplomatic and military support for Ukraine. A couple of other things to note. First, the statement does not call for an end to hostilities or some sort of ceasefire. Second, I also thought that the description of China’s position as “objective” and “impartial” is such sleight of hand, when Beijing does not even mention the need for Russian soldiers to withdraw from Ukraine and respect its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Strange impartiality this is.
Anyway, back to PD. On the front page, the other story (English readout) is about Xi meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Xi said that “the new Chinese government deeply values the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination and stands ready to work with the Russian side through institutionalized exchange channels…”
Mishustin said that “the growth of Russia-China relations is at the highest level in history, which is conducive to better upholding multilateralism and promoting a multi-polar world in the current international situation. The mechanism of regular meetings between the Chinese premier and the Russian prime minister is unique in the world. Russia looks forward to having close coordination and cooperation with the new Chinese government, earnestly implementing the common understandings reached by the two heads of state and strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries. Russia is willing to step up cooperation with China in investment and trade, energy, natural gas, peaceful use of nuclear energy, aviation and aerospace, scientific and technological innovation, cross-border transportation and logistics, and strengthen communication and cooperation on issues such as the safety of supply and industrial chains and food security.”
Page 2: The entire page is dedicated to the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era. I am doing a detailed breakdown. It’s quite a read, with the US basically being the chief antagonist in just about every instance.
Section 1 of the statement says:
“The two sides pointed out that the Sino-Russian relationship is not similar to the military and political alliance during the Cold War, but transcends this model of state-to-state relations, and has the nature of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third countries. The China-Russia relationship is mature, stable, independent, and resilient…Russia needs a prosperous and stable China, and China needs a strong and successful Russia.” 双方指出，中俄关系不是类似冷战时期的军事政治同盟，而是超越该种国家关系模式，具有不结盟、不对抗、不针对第三国的性质。中俄关系成熟、稳定、自主、坚韧，经受住了新冠疫情和国际风云变幻的考验，不受外部影响，展示出生机活力。两国人民世代友好具有坚实根基，两国全方位合作具有广阔前景。俄罗斯需要繁荣稳定的中国，中国需要强大成功的俄罗斯.
It says that the two sides “always respect each other and treat each other as equals. This relationship has become a model of major power relations today.” 中俄视彼此为优先合作伙伴，始终相互尊重，平等相待，成为当今大国关系的典范.
The two sides pointed out that the world is undergoing accelerated changes and the international landscape is undergoing profound adjustments. Peace, development and win-win cooperation are the irresistible trends of history. A multi-polar international landscape is gaining momentum, emerging markets and developing countries are gaining more status, and more regional powers with global influence are determined to defend their legitimate rights and interests. At the same time, hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism are still rampant. It is unacceptable to replace universally recognized principles and norms of international law with a ‘rules-based order’. We should uphold the principles of universality, openness, inclusiveness, non-discrimination and take into account the interests of all parties in order to ensure global multipolarity and the sustainable development of all countries. China and Russia call on all countries to carry forward the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, to engage in dialogue rather than confrontation, to be inclusive rather than exclusive, to live in harmony and cooperate for win-win results in order to promote world peace and development. Against this backdrop, the two sides have maintained close diplomatic coordination, carried out close multilateral coordination, firmly upheld fairness and justice, and promoted the building of a new type of international relations. The two sides stressed that consolidating and deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in the new era is a strategic choice made by both sides based on their respective national conditions, which conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and their peoples, conforms to the development trend of the times and is not affected by external influences. 双方指出，当前世界变局加速演进，国际格局深刻调整，和平、发展、合作、共赢是不可阻挡的历史潮流，多极化国际格局加速形成，新兴市场和发展中国家地位普遍增强，具有全球影响力、决心捍卫本国正当权益的地区大国不断增多。同时，霸权主义、单边主义、保护主义依然横行，用“基于规则的秩序”取代公认的国际法原则和准则的行径不可接受。应秉持普遍、开放、包容、非歧视和兼顾各方利益的原则，实现世界多极化和各国可持续发展。中俄呼吁各国弘扬和平、发展、公平、正义、民主、自由的全人类共同价值，对话而不对抗，包容而不排他，和睦相处，合作共赢，促进世界的和平与发展。在这一形势下，双方保持密切外交协调，开展紧密多边协作，坚决捍卫公平正义，推动构建新型国际关系。双方强调，巩固和深化中俄新时代全面战略协作伙伴关系是双方基于各自国情作出的战略选择，符合两国和两国人民根本利益，符合时代发展潮流，不受外部影响。
It adds that in this context, the two sides will
Ensure that bilateral relations keep moving in the right direction
Provide each other firm support in safeguarding our respective core interests, beginning with the issues of sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and development
Deepen and expand pragmatic cooperation
Promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples
Advance the multi-polarisation of the world, economic globalisation, and the democratisation of international relations, and promote the development of global governance in a more just and reasonable direction
——以两国元首共识为引领，确保双边关系始终沿着正确方向前行。——在维护各自核心利益，首先是主权、领土完整、安全、发展问题上互予坚定支持。——秉持互利原则，在现代化建设过程中持续深化和拓展务实合作，实现共同发展和繁荣，更好造福中俄两国人民。——促进两国人民相知相亲，不断夯实两国世代友好的社会民意基础。——推进世界多极化、经济全球化、国际关系民主化，推动全球治理朝着更加公正合理的方向发展.
Section 2 of the document pushes back on the issue of democracy.
“The two sides pointed out that countries have different histories, cultures and national conditions and have the right to independently choose development paths. There is no such thing as a ‘democracy’ that is superior to others. The two sides oppose imposing their own values on others and drawing ideological lines; they reject the false narrative of ‘democracy versus authoritarianism’, and reject using democracy and freedom as an excuse or political tool to pressure other countries. Russia attaches great importance to China's Global Civilization Initiative.” 双方指出，各国自身历史、文化、国情不同，都有自主选择发展道路的权利。不存在高人一等的“民主”，双方反对把本国价值观强加于人，反对以意识形态划线，反对所谓“民主对抗威权”的虚伪叙事，反对将民主、自由作为向别国施压的借口和政治工具。俄方高度重视中方提出的全球文明倡议.
“All countries have the right to independently choose the path of human rights development. Different civilisations and countries should respect, tolerate, exchange and learn from each other. The two sides will unswervingly advance the cause of human rights at home and in the world.” 各国都有权利自主选择人权发展道路，不同文明、不同国家应该相互尊重、相互包容、相互交流、相互借鉴。双方将坚定不移推进本国人权事业和世界人权事业.
The section also emphasises their opposition to external interference. In this context, Russia reaffirmed “its adherence to the one-China principle” and said that it “firmly supports China’s measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” They also agreed to “strengthen the exchange of experience in foreign-related rule of law and legislation to provide legal guarantees for the development of Russian-Chinese relations and foreign cooperation between the two countries.” 双方同意加强涉外法治和立法经验交流，为中俄关系发展和两国对外合作提供法律保障. Comment: This is essentially in the context of dealing with Western sanctions.
The section also talks about deepening central and sub-national-level institutional dialogue and security dialogue. The two sides agreed to hold an annual meeting of ministers of public security and internal affairs through consultation, and to strengthen law enforcement cooperation in fields such as preventing the ‘colour revolutions’ and cracking down on the ‘three evil forces’, including the ETIM, transnational organised crime, economic crimes, drug and other crimes. 双方同意协商举行公安、内务部部长年度会晤，加强在防范“颜色革命”，打击包括“东伊运”在内的“三股势力”、跨国有组织犯罪、经济犯罪、毒品犯罪等执法领域合作。
“The two sides will regularly organise joint maritime and air patrols, exercises and training, strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries, including under existing bilateral mechanisms, and further deepen mutual trust between the two militaries.” 双方将定期组织海上、空中联合巡航和联演联训，加强包括现有双边机制下两军各项交流合作，进一步深化军事互信.
“The two sides attach great importance to safeguarding the safety and rights of overseas personnel and institutions of the two countries, and will further promote the construction of bilateral and multilateral mechanisms and counterpart exchanges, and continue to expand the ways and means of cooperation with regard to the protection of overseas citizens, projects, and institutions.” 双方高度重视维护两国海外人员和机构安全及权益，将进一步推动双多边机制建设和对口交流，不断拓展海外公民、项目、机构安全保护合作方式和领域.
Section 3 deals with economic cooperation. I think what I’ve covered on this above is much more substantive. But the key sectors that this talks about are energy — oil and gas, coal, electricity, and nuclear energy — civil aviation, automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding, metallurgy and space. It also talks about supporting the expansion of the use of local currency in bilateral trade, investment, credit and other economic and trade activities.
Section 4 deals with people-to-people exchanges, including sports, culture, entertainment, education, emergency management cooperation, media, think tanks, publishing, social sciences, youth exchanges and tech human resources.
It calls to “expand talent exchanges in the industry, tap the potential of cooperation in basic research, applied research, and industrialisation of scientific and technological achievements, and focus on frontier fields of science and technology and joint research on common issues of global development, including coping with and adapting to climate change.” It also calls to “explore new modes of cooperation in technical and industrial fields such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, 5G, digital economy and low-carbon economy.” 双方将深化科技创新领域互利合作，扩大行业人才交流，发挥基础研究、应用研究、科技成果产业化等方面合作潜力，聚焦科技前沿领域及全球发展共性问题联合攻关，包括应对及适应气候变化问题。在人工智能、物联网、5G、数字经济、低碳经济等技术与产业领域探索合作新模式.
On health cooperation, it says: “The two sides will continue to carry out health and epidemic prevention cooperation to deal with the threat of the epidemic situation. The two sides will jointly oppose attempts to restrict the sovereign rights of countries in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, early warning and response to biological threats through the formation of legally binding mechanisms within the framework of international organisations.” 双方将继续开展卫生防疫合作，应对疫情威胁。双方将共同反对借在国际组织框架内形成具有法律约束力的机制，谋求限制各国在传染病防治及预警和应对生物威胁方面主权权利的企图.
Section 5 is about the international order.
“The two sides reaffirm their commitment to firmly upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and oppose all forms of hegemonism, unilateralism and power politics, Cold War mentality, confrontation between blocs and the establishment of cliques targeting specific countries.” 双方重申致力于坚定维护以联合国为核心的国际体系、以国际法为基础的国际秩序、以联合国宪章宗旨和原则为基础的国际关系基本准则，反对一切形式的霸权主义、单边主义、强权政治，反对冷战思维，反对阵营对抗，反对搞针对特定国家的小圈子.
“The Russian side pointed out that China's concept of building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind is of positive significance for strengthening the unity of the international community and working together to meet common challenges. China has a positive view of Russia's constructive and unremitting efforts to promote the construction of just and multipolar international relations.” 俄方指出，中方关于构建人类命运共同体的理念对加强国际社会团结、合力应对共同挑战具有积极意义. 中方积极评价俄方为推动构建公正的多极化国际关系所作建设性不懈努力.
“The two sides support building an open world economy, upholding the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, promoting trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation, calling for an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory development environment, and opposing unilateralism and protectionism, ‘building walls and barriers’ and ‘decoupling and breaking chains’, as well as unilateral sanctions and extreme pressure.” 双方支持建设开放型世界经济，维护以世界贸易组织为核心的多边贸易体制，促进贸易和投资自由化、便利化，呼吁打造开放、公平、公正、非歧视的发展环境，反对单边主义和保护主义行为，反对“筑墙设垒”、“脱钩断链”，反对单边制裁和极限施压.
Russia backed China’s GDI in the statement. On security, they said:
“The two sides are deeply concerned about the grave challenges to international security. They believe that people of all countries share a common future and that no country should seek its own security at the expense of the security of others. The two sides call on the international community to actively participate in global security governance under the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution, earnestly consolidate global strategic stability and maintain common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and make good use of international mechanisms for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. To this end, the two sides reiterated the need for comprehensive policies, advancing with the times, in order to improve the international security architecture and give it greater resilience. One of the core pillars of this framework should be to agree on and abide by the principles and regulations of peaceful coexistence in the current historical stage, so as to minimise the possibility of conflicts between states. The permanent members of the UN Security Council have a special responsibility to maintain world peace and stability, and should avoid conflicts to the maximum extent.” 双方对国际安全面临的严峻挑战深表关切，认为各国人民命运与共，任何国家都不应以他国安全为代价实现自身安全。双方呼吁国际社会本着共商共建原则积极参与全球安全治理，切实巩固全球战略稳定和维护共同、综合、合作、可持续的安全，用好军控、裁军和防扩散等国际机制。为此，双方重申有必要综合施策，与时俱进完善国际安全架构，赋予其更强韧性。该架构的核心支柱之一应是商定并恪守在当前历史阶段和平共处的原则和规定，将国与国之间发生冲突的可能性降至最低。联合国安理会常任理事国对维护世界和平稳定负有特殊责任，更应最大限度避免冲突.
The statement then condemns “all forms of terrorism.” In this context, they also condemned “acts of interference in the internal affairs of other countries and the use of terrorist and extremist organisations for geo-political ends under the banner of combating international terrorism and extremism.” 双方谴责一切形式的恐怖主义，致力于推动国际社会建立以联合国为核心的全球反恐统一战线，反对将打击恐怖主义和极端主义问题政治化、采取“双重标准”，谴责打着打击国际恐怖主义和极端主义旗号以及利用恐怖和极端组织干涉别国内政、实现地缘政治目的的行径. In addition, they called for an “objective, impartial and professional investigation” into the Nord Stream pipeline explosion.
They also said that they opposed the politicisation of origin tracing when it comes to COVID-19.
Section 6 deals with cooperation at other multinational organisations, such as SCO, BRICS, G20, China-Russia-India, China-Russia-Mongolia, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus, APEC, WTO, UNESCO.
Two key points here: They both called for the AU’s membership to the G20 and said that they will “deepen cooperation and coordination with ASEAN and continue to consolidate ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture.”
Section 7 deals with nuclear and strategic security. It says: “In the context of the deterioration of relations between nuclear-weapons States, measures to reduce strategic risks should be organically integrated into the overall efforts to ease tensions, build more constructive relations and resolve conflicts in the security field to the greatest extent. All nuclear-weapon States should not deploy nuclear weapons abroad and should withdraw nuclear weapons deployed abroad.” 在核武器国家关系恶化背景下，减少战略风险的措施应有机地融入到缓和紧张局势、构建更具建设性的关系以及最大程度化解安全领域矛盾的总体努力中。所有核武器国家都不应在境外部署核武器并应撤出在境外部署的核武器.
They talked about the NPT being the “cornerstone of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.” They expressed “serious concern over the consequences and risks to regional strategic stability” arising from AUKUS. “The two sides strongly urge AUKUS member states to strictly fulfil their obligations on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and maintain regional peace, stability and development.” 双方对美国、英国、澳大利亚建立“三边安全伙伴关系”（AUKUS）及相关核动力潜艇合作计划对区域战略稳定产生的后果和风险表示严重关切。双方强烈敦促AUKUS成员国严格履行不扩散大规模杀伤性武器及其运载工具的义务，维护地区和平、稳定与发展.
They “expressed grave concern” over Japan’s release of Fukushima wastewater, backed the “early resumption of full and effective implementation of the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231,” and expressed support for the Biological Weapons Convention. In the context of the BWC, they “expressed grave concern over the biological military activities of the United States inside and outside its borders, which seriously threaten other countries and damage regional security. They demanded the United States clarify this, refrain from all biological activities that violate the BWC and stop obstructing the establishment of a verification mechanism for implementation within the framework of the Convention.” 双方对美国在其境内外严重威胁别国并损害有关地区安全的生物军事活动表示严重关切，要求美国就此作出澄清，不得开展一切违反《禁止生物武器公约》的生物活动，不再阻挠建立公约框架内履约核查机制.
They called on the US to destroy its chemical weapons stockpiles and urged Japan to complete the destruction of chemical weapons abandoned in China as soon as possible.
“China and Russia are concerned that the United States will speed up the construction of the global anti-missile system and deploy anti-missile systems around the world, strengthen the disabling and high-precision strategic strike capability of non-nuclear weapons, promote the deployment of land-based medium-range and short-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific and Europe and provide them to its allies. They urge the United States to stop undermining international and regional security and global strategic stability in order to maintain its unilateral military superiority.” 中俄对美国加快全球反导体系建设并在世界各地部署反导系统、强化失能性高精度非核武器战略打击能力、推进在亚太和欧洲地区部署陆基中程和中短程导弹并向其盟友提供表示关切，敦促美国停止为维持自身单方面军事优势而破坏国际和地区安全和全球战略稳定.
On outer space, the two countries called for “negotiations on a legally binding multilateral instrument” that would “provide a fundamental and reliable guarantee for preventing an arms race in outer space, weaponisation of outer space and the use or threat of use of force against outer space objects.” They call for this to be on the basis of the Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects, which China and Russia have already submitted. 双方主张在中俄《防止在外空放置武器、对外空物体使用或威胁使用武力条约》草案基础上，尽快启动具有法律约束力的多边文书谈判，为防止外空军备竞赛、外空武器化及防止对外空物体使用或威胁使用武力提供根本和可靠的保障.
They also talked about strengthening AI governance cooperation; they “oppose the “militarisation of the ICT sector, oppose restrictions on normal ICT development and cooperation, and support the building of a multilateral, fair and transparent global Internet governance system on the premise of ensuring the sovereignty and security of Internet governance in all countries…The two sides believe that a new and responsible code of conduct for states in information and cyberspace domains, in particular a universal international legal instrument, should be formulated. China's Global Data Security Initiative and Russia's concept paper on an international convention on information security make important contributions to the formulation of relevant guidelines.” 双方反对信息和通信技术领域军事化，反对限制正常信息通信和技术发展与合作，支持在确保各国互联网治理主权和安全的前提下打造多边公平透明的全球互联网治理体系...双方认为，应制定信息网络空间新的、负责任的国家行为准则，特别是普遍性国际法律文书。中方《全球数据安全倡议》和俄方关于国际信息安全公约的概念文件将为相关准则制定作出重要贡献.
Section 8 briefly deals with cooperation on climate change and biodiversity protection. The final section discusses the Ukraine war and other regional hotspot issues. Apart from the paragraph that I shared above on Ukraine, the section says:
“The two sides urged NATO to abide by its commitment as a regional and defensive organisation, and called on NATO to respect the sovereignty, security, interests, and diversity of civilisations, history and culture of other countries, and view the peaceful development of other countries objectively and fairly. The two sides expressed serious concern over NATO's continued strengthening of military security ties with Asia-Pacific countries, which undermines regional peace and stability. The two sides oppose patching together a closed and exclusive group structure in the Asia-Pacific region, creating bloc politics and camp confrontation. The two sides pointed out that the United States adheres to the Cold War mentality and pursues the ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy’, which has a negative impact on peace and stability in the region. China and Russia are committed to building an equal, open, and inclusive Asia-Pacific security system that does not target third countries, so as to maintain regional peace, stability, and prosperity.” 双方敦促北约恪守作为区域性、防御性组织的承诺，呼吁北约尊重他国主权、安全、利益及文明多样性、历史文化多样性，客观公正看待他国和平发展。双方对北约持续加强同亚太国家军事安全联系、破坏地区和平稳定表示严重关切。双方反对在亚太地区拼凑封闭排他的集团架构，制造集团政治和阵营对抗。双方指出，美国抱守冷战思维，推行“印太战略”，对本地区和平稳定造成消极影响。中俄致力于构建平等、开放、包容，不针对第三国的亚太地区安全体系，以维护地区和平、稳定与繁荣.
With regard to “peace and stability in Northeast Asia,” they said that they “oppose extraterritorial military forces undermining regional peace and stability, and call on the countries concerned to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, exercise restraint and refrain from actions that endanger regional security.” 双方认为，维护东北亚地区和平稳定符合相关各方利益。双方反对域外军事力量破坏地区和平稳定，呼吁有关国家摒弃冷战思维和意识形态偏见，保持克制，不采取危害地区安全的行动.
On the North Korea issue, “The US should respond to the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the DPRK with practical actions and create conditions for resuming dialogue…sanctions and pressure are neither desirable nor feasible; dialogue and consultation are the only way to resolve” the problem.
On the Middle East: The two sides advocate maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East, support regional countries to strengthen strategic autonomy, call for resolving hotspot issues through dialogue and consultation, and oppose interference in the internal affairs of regional countries. The two sides welcome the normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran through dialogue and support a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the ‘two-state solution.’ They support Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and call for a political settlement process led and owned by Syrians. The two sides advocate maintaining the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Libya and promoting a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political settlement package. The two sides will strengthen communication and docking on their respective security initiatives in the Gulf region and work together to build a collective security architecture in the Gulf region.” 双方主张维护中东地区和平稳定，支持地区国家加强战略自主，通过对话协商解决热点问题，反对干涉地区国家内部事务。双方欢迎沙特和伊朗通过对话实现关系正常化，支持在“两国方案”基础上全面、公正解决巴勒斯坦问题。支持叙利亚主权、独立和领土完整，推动由叙人主导、叙人所有的一揽子政治解决进程。主张维护利比亚主权、独立和领土完整，推动由利人主导、利人所有的一揽子政治解决进程。双方将就各自提出的海湾地区安全倡议加强沟通对接，携手构筑海湾地区集体安全架构.
The statement praised the CSTO and said that the two countries back Central Asian countries “in safeguarding their sovereignty and national development, and oppose external forces promoting ‘colour revolution and interfering in regional affairs.” It also says that China and Russia will “strengthen communication and cooperation on African affairs” and “continue to hold consultations on Latin American affairs.”
Page 3: There’s a report on Li Xi’s remarks during an investigation tour in Hubei. He visited local revolutionary bases and enterprises, and Wuhan University.
Some of the key messages from the report:
Li called for members to “consciously adhere to the centralised and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, earnestly shoulder the major political responsibility of ‘two safeguards’, promote the close unity of the whole party around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core…” 新时代新征程上，要赓续光荣传统，自觉坚持党中央集中统一领导，切实担负起“两个维护”重大政治责任，促进全党紧密团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，凝聚起强国建设、民族复兴的磅礴力量. He also emphasised the two establishments.
He also emphasised that “discipline inspection and supervision work is the work of the people and the masses. It is necessary to implement the people-centred development philosophy, supervise and ensure the implementation of the Party Central Committee's policies and measures to benefit and enrich the people, and carry out in-depth special rectification of unhealthy practices and corruption in the field of rural revitalisation, and enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness and security.” 他强调，纪检监察工作是人心工作、群众工作，要贯彻以人民为中心的发展思想，监督保障党中央惠民富民政策措施落实，深入开展乡村振兴领域不正之风和腐败问题专项整治，增强群众获得感、幸福感、安全感.
He emphasised the importance of political supervisions and the implementation of the eight-point central regulations.
Also, there’s a report informing that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has announced a new package of support for soybeans. Broadly, these include:
Increased subsidies for corn and soybean producers, and focus on increasing the support for high-oil and high-yield soybeans to promote stable soybean production in Northeast China.
Improved incentives such as enhanced financial and credit support for soybeans, and supporting pilot soybean counties with full-cost insurance and expanding the coverage of planting income insurance.
Supporting the development of grain-soybean rotation when it comes to land use
Greater support for family farms, farmers' cooperatives, agricultural enterprises for soybean planting
Improving soybean purchasing and storage
Connecting enterprises to cities and counties in the main producing areas for better sales
And that’s about it. There’s little else that I thought was worth one’s time in the paper. I hope this has been useful to you.