‘This summit will divide the world into ‘before’ and ‘after’
Margarita Simonyan on the importance of cooperation between Russia and China during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations
“We are very proud that we have such close cooperation and warm relations with China. We are especially proud that the media organisations of the countries have had such close relations for many, many years,” said Editor-in-Chief of Russia Today media group Margarita Simonyan during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. During the ceremonial event, several media outlets and universities of the two countries also exchanged memorandums of cooperation. In addition, the top officials of the media industry launched the 3rd season of Xi Jinping's Favourite Catchphrases TV show in Russian. As Director of International Cooperation at Russia Today media group Vasily Pushkov stated, the words from the programme are also close to the Russian people. Read more about it in a report of Realnoe Vremya.
“This is about commitment to the traditions of our ancestors”
The 3rdseason of Xi Jinping's Favourite Catchphrases TV show in Russian was launched at Kazan Federal University on 22 October. It was timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China.
“The project Xi Jinping's Favourite Catchphrases was initiated back in 2019 and continued, becoming a wonderful tradition. This demonstrates the special demand for cultural exchanges between our two countries. This work is especially needed in the year of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China, when the level of cooperation is at its highest point,” according to the address of the Russian president’s Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
The programme was broadcast on the website of Rossiyskaya Gazeta, VGTRK and Bolshaya Asia channels.
“I remember a wonderful thought that was expressed there [in the programme]: ‘No matter how much you crush a stone, it will still remain solid.’ This is about commitment to the traditions of ancestors, about preserving one’s spiritual foundations and about great resilience in the face of other adversities,” emphasised the importance of the show Director General of VGTRK Oleg Dobrodeyev.
He also said that the project aroused “great genuine interest” among the Russian audience.
“We understand that each hieroglyph consists of different elements, each phrase has individual hieroglyphs, but it is in their unification, in creating the correct order from them that meanings arise. From those treatises of the classics of Chinese philosophical thought and literature, our people began to develop the correct idea of a close and dear neighbour,” added the director general of the company.
The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Head of the CPC Central Committee’s Propaganda Department, Director General and Editor-in-Chief of China Media Corporation Shen Haixiong.
“The value of humanitarian communication lies in the exchange of ideas and mutually attractive culture. Today, we are launching the third season of the TV project Xi Jinping’s Favourite Catchphrases on the air of leading Russian media. The CPC Chairman’s deep understanding and comprehension of the principles of the people’s priorities as well as his concern for the country and the world, revealed the unique spiritual power of Chinese culture and illuminated the content of Xi Jinping’s vision of public administration,” he said.
Special connection with China
Also during the event, Russian universities and media exchanged memorandums of cooperation with Chinese industry representatives. Among them are the Research Institute of China Media Corporation (CMG) and Kazan Federal University, the Eurasian Bureau of China Media Corporation (CMG) and the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, CGTN (China Global Television Network) and TV BRICS.
“We communicate on equal terms with representatives of many countries. But right at the working level, I can very clearly say: why there are fewer questions in organizing events with Chinese colleagues than with others. We understand each other perfectly with Chinese colleagues,” emphasised Director of International Cooperation of Russia Today media group Vasily Pushkov before the ceremony.
He expressed confidence that Russia and China will achieve solutions to any tasks that they set for themselves.
Editor-in-Chief of Russia Today Margarita Simonyan, in turn, said that the media group plans to further expand cooperation with Chinese media. In particular, the possibility of using video materials from Chinese channels by Russian ones is being discussed.
“We are very proud that we have such close cooperation and warm relations with China. We are especially proud that the media organisations of the countries have had such close relations for many, many years,” she added.
“The summit shows our fatigue from hypocrisy”
More than 2,000 students from China are studying at KFU, said the university’s Rector Lenar Safin. Another thousand Russian students are studying Chinese.
“I hope that our dialogue today will contribute to strengthening relations between Russia and China, prod good traditions of cooperation between our countries will continue. I wish us all fruitful work,” he highlighted.
Simonyan also said that all three of her children “speak Chinese perfectly” and stated that learning this language is necessary in modern realities.
“As one Egyptian journalist told me yesterday: ‘I have a feeling that this summit will divide the world into ‘before’ and ‘after.’ The summit shows our fatigue from them, from hypocrisy, from their dictatorship, from their attempts to make us not us, from their attempts to chop off our pieces. I mean the collective West,” she added.