Tree of friendship that continues to grow

President Xi Jinping began his eighth visit to Russia in six years on Wednesday. The high frequency alone shows how much importance Beijing attaches to its relations with Moscow, not to mention his three-day visit coincides with official celebrations of the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

And with the world facing the challenges of growing protectionism, unilateralism and economic chauvinism, China and Russia, both staunch supporters of multilateralism and the norms governing international relations, can jointly shore up confidence in global stability by ensuring they are on the same page and working closely together on the world stage.

Just as Xi said in a group interview with Russian media on the eve of his Russia trip, the relationship between China and Russia is now at its best in history and it is presented with new opportunities for further development. After seven decades of development, the Beijing-Moscow strategic partnership is stronger than ever before, as reflected in bilateral trade, which hit a record high of over $100 billion in 2018, up 27.1 percent year-on-year, the highest pace among China's top 10 trading partners.