Rapid development

Li Ziguo, director of the Department of European-Central Asian Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said: "On the basis of the treaty, China-Russia relations have developed rapidly in various fields, covering politics, the economy and culture, over the past 20 years. The relationship between the two countries has also been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

"The secret to the strong development of bilateral ties lies in upholding the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and not targeting any third party. Practical cooperation also provides a strong impetus for the development of ties."

Andrey Karneev, professor and head of the School of Asian Studies at Russia's Higher School of Economics, said the treaty has fostered deeper Russian-Chinese cooperation on a wide range of international, bilateral and regional issues.

"Relations have come a long way in these 20 years," Karneev said, adding that the partnership was initially based on a "certain outline" for cooperation and subsequently reached "a mature state".

"Figures showing trade and economic interaction reflect this, and also the figures for bilateral exchanges. This is largely due to the role of this treaty," he added.

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament, said Russia-China ties are fundamental to maintaining global stability and tackling international challenges through an approach that takes into account the interests of both countries.

He added that the partnership between the two nations demonstrates how relations are built on honesty and appreciation of both sides' national interests and development.

Vladimir Portyakov, deputy director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said Russia and China, along with the United States, are the three powers considered to be at the center of world politics, representing the nucleus of the entire system of international relations. In view of this, it is only natural that long-term agreements between two of the three main players serve to play an important role.

"In addition, Russia essentially does not have these kinds of agreements and these kinds of relations with any other major countries," he said.

"The treaty has been in force for 20 years. It was signed at a time when there was no total confidence in the favorable development of bilateral relations, and when the level of political trust left a lot to be desired.