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Russian President Vladimir Putin said he expects Chinese President Xi Jinping to pay a state visit to Russia in early 2023.
Basic points:
- Xi Jinping says China is ready to strengthen strategic cooperation with Russia
- China has so far refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
- Vladimir Putin previously acknowledged China’s “concerns” about the war
In opening remarks from a conference call between the two leaders broadcast on state television, Mr Putin said: “We are waiting for you, dear Mr. President, dear friend, we are waiting for you next spring on a state visit to Moscow.”
He said the visit would “show the world the closeness of Russian-Chinese relations”.
Speaking for about eight minutes, Mr Putin said Russia-China relations were becoming more important as a stabilizing factor and that his aim was to deepen military cooperation between the two countries.
The visit will be a public show of solidarity from Beijing amid Russia’s failed military campaign in Ukraine.
In a response that lasted about a quarter of an hour, Xi said China is ready to increase strategic cooperation with Russia amid a “difficult” situation in the world at large.
According to Chinese state media, MrXi told his Russian counterpart that Beijing and Moscow should coordinate and cooperate closely in international affairs.
Xi also told Putin that the road to peace talks on Ukraine would not be smooth and that China would continue to maintain its “objective and fair stance” on the issue, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“The Chinese side noted that the Russian side said it never refused to resolve the conflict through diplomatic negotiations and expressed its appreciation for that,” Xi was quoted as saying in the CCTV video call.
The relationship between Russia and China, hailed by both sides as a “borderless” partnership, has grown in importance since Moscow sent its armed forces into Ukraine on February 24.
But that description of the Sino-Russian relationship has fallen out of favor in Beijing, at least publicly, as it seeks to avoid Western sanctions for aiding Russia’s war effort.
China ready to cooperate with Russia against hegemony
Although Western countries have imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia, China has refrained from condemning Moscow’s military campaign, stressing instead the need for peace.
Russian energy exports to China have increased significantly since the outbreak of the conflict, with Russia now China’s largest oil supplier.
At a September summit in Uzbekistan, Mr Putin acknowledged his Chinese counterpart’s “concerns” about the situation in Ukraine.
Mr Xi, however, made clear on Friday the ideological affinity between Beijing and Moscow when it came to opposing what both see as a hegemonic West led by the US.
“Events have repeatedly proven that containment and repression are unpopular, and sanctions and interventions are doomed to failure,” Xi told Putin.
“China is ready to cooperate with Russia and all progressive forces around the world who oppose hegemony and power politics and firmly defend the sovereignty, security and development interests of both countries and international justice.”
Reuters
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