Feng Shaolei：President Xi’s Trip to Sochi Presents Far-Reaching Significance

Source：valdaiclub.com

Reprint link：http://valdaiclub.com/asia/66700.html

Valdai：President Xi’s Trip to Sochi Presents Far-Reaching Significance

Feng Shaolei

When China is still deeply embraced in Spring Festival atmosphere, President Xi has set for trip to Sochi to attend the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games here.

This is the first attendance by a Chinese head of state at an opening ceremony of a major overseas sports event. President Xi’s attendance of this world concerned sports event fully demonstrates high-level respect of an emerging country, with ancient civilization and tradition, to contemporary international public affairs and sports tradition appreciated by the world. In general, the Chinese is new to modern international Winter Olympic events, yet the participation of China shows the determination and enthusiasm of the oriental power ready to communicate with the world in various fields.

Russia, for the second consecutive year, is President Xi’s first overseas destination in 2014. In 2013, President Xi chose Russia as the first stop of his maiden foreign trip as Chinese president. It fully shows the unswerving intention of China to the development of friendly relations with this great neighbor. China and Russia, as two neighboring world powers both in rapid transformation and development, with endless common interests and wishes, need the personal contacts between the two heads of state to warm people-to-people exchanges to enrich understanding of rapid development of the two great countries, and  need in-depth mutual communication to find and consolidate cooperation opportunities. Meanwhile, faced with a series of new changes from regional and international arena, China and Russia need to deepen cooperation, which also serves as an important guarantee to world peace and stability. China-Russia relations can be, and should be a cherished historic space and opportunity to develop new relations between major powers.  The progress in the development of China-Russia ties can further stimulate and promote the development of relations between great powers in other aspects. In this background, Sochi Winter Olympic Games is obviously a good time for a meeting of two heads of state after they met five times last year.

Sochi Winter Olympic Games is the beginning of a series of major sports events which will be held in Russia next years. Late this year, there will be 2014 F I Grand Prix in Sochi, as well as 2018 FIFA quadrennial football contest in Russia. The hosting of these international sport events not only embodies the world reputation of Russia as a sporting power, but also presents sincere wishes of the Russian people to pursuit progress and openness through sport exchanges, to realize mutual understanding and respect, and promote national development. The Chinese people, as an old friend, fully understand courage of the Russian people to overcome all difficulties and their heroic spirit to strive for the achievement of dream. 

President Xi’s visit not only brings the Chinese wishes for the Sochi Winter Olympics a full success, but also presents expectations for economic development, social stability, people’s well-being, and national prosperity in Russia!


Feng Shaolei is Director, Centre for Russian Studies, East China Normal University, member of the Valdai Discussion Club Advisory Board.