Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia on Friday and attend later in Moscow a ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War, Russia's term for WWII. [Special coverage]
During the visit, Xi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, are expected to add new content to bilateral ties and break new ground together, showing the two countries' relationship has entered a new development phase. Following are some basic facts about China-Russia relations:
On Dec 27, 1991, China and Russia signed a memo to ensure Russia would inherit the diplomatic relations between the former Soviet Union and China established on Oct 2, 1949.
In December 1992, China and Russia signed a joint statement on the foundation for bilateral ties, calling on China and Russia to regard each other as "friendly countries."
In September 1994, China and Russia signed the second joint statement, announcing the two countries are resolved to establish a constructive partnership with a perspective toward the 21st century.
The two sides also signed a series of important agreements, including a joint declaration to the effect that the two countries will not be the first to use nuclear weapons against each other and shall end the targeting of each other with strategic nuclear weapons.
In April 1996, the two countries declared the establishment of a partnership of strategic coordination based on equality and trust and oriented toward the 21st century.
In July 2001, China and Russia signed the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, which has laid a strong legal foundation for the two countries to develop a strategic partnership.
In May 2003, the two countries signed a joint statement in which both sides agreed to develop good-neighborly and friendly relations and a strategic partnership.
