On December 23, Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov delivered a lecture at Renmin University of China, reviewing key achievements in Russia–China relations over the past year and answering questions from the audience.
Ambassador Morgulov emphasized the historical foundations of Russia–China relations, highlighting shared sacrifices during World War II as the basis of today’s comprehensive strategic partnership and the joint commitment to defending historical truth. He summarized in Chinese “前事不忘，后事之师” (Remember the lessons of yesterday, they are the teachers of tomorrow.)
He pointed to strong high-level political engagement, including mutual participation in major commemorative events, and noted upcoming anniversaries marking 30 years of strategic interaction and 25 years of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness.
Despite external pressure and Western sanctions, bilateral economic cooperation remains resilient. China is Russia’s leading trade partner, with trade exceeding $200 billion annually and expanding across energy, infrastructure, transportation, agriculture, and logistics, including the Northern Sea Route, with growing use of national currencies.
The lecture highlighted deepening cooperation in science, technology, space, and education, with rising student exchanges and 2026–2027 designated as cross-years of educational cooperation.
On global affairs, Russia and China were described as proponents of a multipolar world order, coordinating closely in the UN, BRICS, G20, APEC, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The address concluded by underscoring the importance of cultural and humanitarian exchanges and calling on younger generations to preserve and advance the bilateral partnership.
“In today’s challenging geopolitical situation, we often use the Chinese term ‘背靠背’ (back to back) to describe how we support each other. It accurately reflects how we jointly advance the formation of a new, strategic, just, and equitable world order while defending common interests.”
He concluded: “I recall the famous words spoken by Chairman Mao Zedong at Moscow State University in 1957: ‘世界是你们的，也是我们的，但是归根结底是你们的’ (The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the final analysis, it is yours)”.
