Opening remarks were delivered by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Zhao Leji.
Valentina Matvienko noted that Russian-Chinese relations are at the highest level ever and can be rightly considered a model of mature and sustainable interaction based on mutual respect, with its tone set by the personal rapport between the two heads of state.
The Federation Council Speaker stated that effective ties between the Russian and Chinese members of parliament play a significant role in the development of bilateral cooperation. “The Interparliamentary Commission has been operating for 11 years, which is evidence of the stability and reliability of interparliamentary ties between Russia and China. It is a proven and effective mechanism for direct interaction between the lawmakers of Russia and China. The Commission is a venue not only for the exchange of experience but also for holding substantive discussions on issues of strategic significance for bilateral relations in the economy, investment, transport, energy, humanitarian affairs and interregional cooperation, as well as on new promising spheres such as digital development and artificial intelligence,” Valentina Matvienko said.
“The importance of interparliamentary cooperation continues to grow. Members of parliament can provide the necessary legislative support to joint initiatives, enhance public support for bilateral cooperation, and create additional opportunities for the further development of our ties,” the Federation Council Speaker stated.
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Zhao Leji pointed out that Chinese-Russian relations, which have reached an all-time high, have become a model for relations between great powers. He recalled the recent meeting of the Russian and Chinese leaders in Beijing, the talks they held, the Joint Statement they signed, and the documents on cooperation in trade, economy, education, science and technology the signing of this they attended. The two parliaments should help implement the vital agreements reached by the two leaders, foster strategic ties, promote practical cooperation, and contribute to the further development of bilateral relations at the new level, Zhao Leji stated.
The meeting of the Interparliamentary Commission was co-chaired by Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev and Chair of the Constitution and Law Committee of the National People’s Congress Xin Chunyin.
Konstantin Kosachev emphasised that members of parliament must provide the necessary legislative framework for the implementation of agreements reached at the top level.
“Russia and China share a common vision of the fundamental principles of the world order, such as the primacy of law and respect for the interests of all states, with due regard for the right of all countries to their own development paths, sovereignty and equal participation in international affairs,” the Deputy Speaker said.
Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin reported on joint actions to counter international threats and challenges. “Russia and China are shaping a new format of cooperation focused on sustainable development and joint resistance to external threats and challenges. Today, when the foundations of international relations have been put to severe trials, cooperation between our countries should promote the consolidation of the Global Majority countries and the shaping of a more just multipolar world,” the senator said. He added that members of parliament pay serious attention to the development of a new Eurasian security architecture in the context of the crisis of the European security system and the creation of hostile military-political alliances in the Asia-Pacific Region. The new architecture of Eurasian security must be based on the principles of equality, indivisible security and the potential of existing Eurasian multilateral associations.
Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Andrei Klishas spoke about the legal framework for scientific and technological innovation, such as fostering the broad use of artificial intelligence and cooperation in AI management. He stated that in the past few years Russian-Chinese cooperation in AI had reached the stage of creating the relevant permanent mechanisms. “Russia and China are developing national AI management systems that have similar fundamental approaches to the issue and are based on the principles of security, sovereignty and human centricity,” he said. In his opinion, unified approaches to AI management are especially important in light of the rapidly developing technologies, and that only a constructive dialogue can ensure the development of an effective and lasting partnership.
Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lilia Gumerova highlighted the strengthening of partner ties in the sphere of youth affairs, education and culture within the framework of the Cross Years of Russian-Chinese Cooperation in Education. She mentioned the great potential for developing cooperation with China in education. “Overall, several hundred events are scheduled to be held within the framework of the Cross Years of Russian-Chinese Cooperation in Education, which were launched in January. Their Russian co-organisers include educational establishments of all levels and basic spheres of education. We hope that the implementation of this ambitious project will help advance the dynamic of academic exchanges and inter-university dialogue to a new level,” the senator said. She added that 21,000 Russian students are studying in China and there are 57,000 Chinese students in Russia. “It is gratifying that there has been a sharp increase in the Chinese young people’s interest in receiving Russian education over the past few years. In accordance with the China-Russia roadmap for humanitarian cooperation until 2030, bilateral student exchange is planned to reach 100,000 people.”
Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs Andrei Shevchenko reported on the development of interregional cooperation between the legislative authorities of Russia and China, and the exchange of information on the improvement of national legislations. He stated that interregional cooperation is expanding its geography and now includes not only the border regions but also the coastal provinces of China and the central regions of Russia. “Russian regions and Chinese provinces have signed over 120 agreements,” he said. “The key tasks of our interaction include the harmonisation of our legislation aimed at promoting interregional trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation, and the use of our parliamentary venues for organising the respective exchange. It is especially important to improve the bilateral legal framework with regard to border cooperation,” Andrei Shevchenko said.
First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy Ivan Abramov delivered a presentation on the performance of the Competence Centre for Russian-Chinese Business Cooperation.
Summing up the results of the meeting, Konstantin Kosachev said that the participants discussed a broad range of issues and outlined new avenues for bilateral cooperation.
“The Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China will continue to play an important role in the comprehensive development of our interparliamentary cooperation,” the Deputy Speaker stated.
Before the meeting of the Interparliamentary Commission, Valentina Matvienko and Zhao Leji toured a photo exhibition titled The Unbreakable Friendship of Great Nations, the Strategic Partnership of Great Powers. The exposition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation between China and Russia includes materials provided by the TASS News Agency. TASS Director General Andrei Kondrashov said that every image tells its own story of ties that have developed into truly allied relations that are impervious to any external factors. Interparliamentary cooperation between Russia and China is one of the exhibition highlights.