Understanding between peoples guarantee for progress

President Xi Jinping extended congratulations to a China-Russia people-to-people and cultural exchange event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War on Wednesday. He stressed that strengthening people-to-people and cultural exchanges is essential to enhance mutual understanding, promote good-neighborliness and friendship, and consolidate the social and popular support for the development of bilateral ties.

To inject new momentum into mutual understanding and amity between the two peoples, refresh the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, as Xi urged, media outlets of both countries should join hands to connect people's hearts.

The event was co-hosted by China Media Group and All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a congratulatory message to the event.

It is one of the hundreds of events launched within the framework of the 2024-25 China-Russia Years of Culture that kicked off in May last year. Cultural events have been and will be held in 51 Chinese cities and 38 cities in Russia over the two years.

Other recent initiatives include the movie Red Silk, coproduced by Chinese and Russian filmmakers, that is currently showing in Russia and achieving great box office success, and a new version of the opera Eugene Onegin, created by artists from the two countries, that has just debuted in China.

"The performances by numerous high-level Russian art troupes in China not only bring the essence of Russian culture to Chinese audiences, but also provide an opportunity for Russian artists to experience and understand China," Wang Ning, director of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

China is not only paying great attention to the cultural events between the two sides to ensure their success but is also committed to making its people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Russia sustainable in the long run, so as to strengthen the bonds between the two peoples.

As such, multiple channels, platforms and mechanisms have been formed to promote cooperation and exchanges in culture, tourism, education and the media.

These exchanges, events and programs are proving effective in promoting mutual understanding between the younger generations of the two countries, according to a research project by a think tank on the branding and management of the China-Russia Art Festival for College Students based in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

The project is based on China-Russia youth education and exchanges in Qiqihar University, where more than 2,600 Russian students have received education since 1993 through the university's cooperation projects with over 40 Russian colleges.

"Both China and Russia have splendid and rich culture and art resources, and the two peoples have a shared memory of fighting fascists during World War II," said Zhao Lulu, a senior researcher with the think tank. "There remains great potential for the two nations to use smart ways, including new media platforms, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, to strengthen their culture and art exchanges, breathing new life into their historical bond by focusing on the younger generation who are more tech savvy."

While some regard bilateral pragmatic economic and trade cooperation and strategic coordination on the world stage between China and Russia as key pillars to their comprehensive strategic partnership, many experts such as Wang and Zhao believe it is the intensive people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two nations that have laid the solid foundation on which these pillars stand.

History shows that it is the mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual learning and mutual understanding realized through people-to-people and cultural changes that is the requisite for any substantial engagement between major countries and a defining characteristic of the healthy and sustainable development of Sino-Russian relations.

As experience shows, strengthening the bonds between peoples is an effective way to replace division with solidarity, confrontation with cooperation, and a zero-sum game with common development. In this way, people-to-people exchanges have been and should continue to be an essential part of the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

- Li Yang, China Daily