On Feb 16, a plenary session of the China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development (CRFCPD) on the Chinese side was held in Beijing.

In his speech at the plenary meeting, Xia Baolong, vice-chairman of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chairman of the Chinese side of the CRFCPD, said that in 2022, which marked the 25th anniversary of the CRFCPD, the CRFCPD focused more on the immediate needs of further development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, and carried out a series of friendly non-governmental exchanges between the two countries to consolidate the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Russian people and to strengthen the people-to-people bond.

Xia stressed that the CRFCPD should make thorough studies, focus on the implementation and publicity of the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state, expand the depth and width of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, translate the high-level political relationship into more pragmatic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and create greater benefits for the people of both countries.

The secretariat of the CRFCPD and delegates to its subgroups held talks on their work.

The plenary session also laid out the work plan of the CRFCPD in 2023.