By tf-lawyer.com In a recent conversation with China Youth Daily, Kirill Balsky, the head of the Department of Diplomacy at Moscow State Institute of International Relations and vice president of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Association, shared his admiration for the remarkable achievements China has made since the founding of the People’s Republic 75 years ago. “You don’t need to be an expert on China to see the incredible progress that has taken place during the 46 years of reform and opening up,” he remarked.
Balsky stressed that a deep understanding of Chinese history is crucial to fully appreciate the significance of these accomplishments. “To really grasp China’s great achievements, you need to understand the complex development challenges faced by both the leadership and the people before these successes were realized,” he elaborated.
For those who lived and worked in China during the 1970s and 1980s, the sensory and emotional impact of the country’s transformation over the past four decades is even more profound. Balsky started studying Chinese and researching the country in 1982, and his first trip to China in 1985 included a year of language study at the Beijing Foreign Language Institute (now Beijing Foreign Studies University). He vividly recalls the atmosphere of Beijing’s northwestern suburbs during that time.
“There were single-story brick houses and bungalows everywhere, with farmers selling vegetables, fruits, and peanuts from tricycles. Women set up next to ice boxes, selling bright yellow lemon soda and ice pops,” he reminisced. “Back then, most of the traffic consisted of bicycles, and fixing them was a lucrative business. As you strolled down the street, you would frequently come across bicycle repair stalls equipped with a stool, a spread of tools on the ground, and a basin of water for finding punctures in tires…”
Since arriving in Beijing in 1985, Balsky has keenly observed the city’s transformation and has witnessed China’s remarkable development. “As international students, we could truly feel the pace of progress. The country was undergoing rapid changes, and the cities were expanding quickly. If you headed north along Suzhou Street into Haidian District, you would find a major construction project taking shape—Zhongguancun was about to emerge.”
Today, he notes that Zhongguancun stands as a significant symbol of urbanization in Beijing, often referred to as China’s “Silicon Valley.” “Now, Zhongguancun is lined with skyscrapers, office buildings, research clusters, universities, and commercial centers. It’s a hub of major transportation routes. When I visit today, the Zhongguancun I knew feels both trendy and strange.”
During his five and a half years studying and working in China, Balsky traveled extensively throughout most provinces. “I witnessed firsthand the hardships many people faced in the 1980s and early 1990s. Some areas were economically underdeveloped, and their transportation and social infrastructure were lagging far behind. Observing those conditions makes the current state of China even more astonishing—not only in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai but also in inland areas, where the level of modernization is truly impressive.”
Balsky expressed heartfelt congratulations to the Chinese people for their significant achievements and hopes for even greater advancements for China, which he considers a close neighbor and partner to Russia.
As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Balsky reflected on the bright future of their bilateral relationship. “We are witnessing unprecedented progress in our ties. The strategic partnership that has developed over the past 30 years is characterized by intense political dialogue, close economic cooperation, rich cultural exchanges, and deep interactions on the international stage, all based on our aligned development interests and mutual cultural appeal.”
He also called for enhanced cooperation across various sectors—politics, trade, culture, and technology—to support the development plans of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative. Balsky emphasized the importance of deepening the bonds of friendship, fortifying the social foundations for furthering bilateral relations, promoting exchanges in society, tourism, culture, and academia, expanding regional trade, and nurturing connections between cities to strengthen ties among the youth of both countries.
