Weeds grow by themselves, whereas a blooming garden requires
effort.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov is in town, pulling
efforts with Chinese leaders to take care of the garden.
The grand ceremony and show at the Great Wall of the People last
night dropped the curtain of the Year of Russia in China. The one
for the Year of China is to be raised in Russia next year.
The events are part of the flowers in the garden, which the two
countries have been tending to well.
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The idea of the Year of Russia in China, and the Year of China in
Russia, was generated by the merging of two trends - the multiple
old contacts and an amazing growth of the new ones.
The Year of Russia in China, which opened with Russian President
Vladimir Putin's China visit in March, was not merely an intensive
cultural program. Impressive as it is, the cultural festival was
only a small part of the events.
The Year of Russia in China, including events within the
framework of programs on political, business, inter-regional,
science and technology co-operation, and humanitarian interaction,
was a showcase of the diverse interactions between the two
countries.
The efforts do not stop when the curtain drops. The two
countries have made plans for activities for the next two years,
with a vision for the future.
The launching of the Year of Russia in China was not a routine
event, but a massive response to moving the bilateral relations to
a higher level.
The approach was to nurture more communication at the
grass-roots level.
The two countries are free from political issues. This has
facilitated the smooth development of their relations.
The experience of the 1950s when millions of citizens of the two
countries communicated with one another was a precious experience
still relevant today, when both countries have changed beyond
recognition.
The event - both the Year of Russia in China and the upcoming
Year of China in Russia - made it possible for Chinese and Russians
to know each other better.
The communication at the top level is smooth. President Hu Jintao met his Russian counterpart Putin
four times last year.
Those in Beijing and in the Kremlin believe that relations
between China and Russia are the best that we have ever seen.
A strong bond between the two countries does not die with the
retirement of the generations in both countries that used to
understand each other well.
The Year of Russia in China is part of the joint efforts to keep
their great friendship flourishing.
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It appears that the leaders of the two countries bless the
development of bilateral ties on all fronts, especially the
people-to-people contact.
Only when the peoples of the two countries appreciate the
importance of their ties, can they serve as good "gardeners."
(China Daily November 10, 2006)
