[ad_1]
Putin – whose delegation includes senior defense and security officials – was greeted by Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing earlier in full military display, heralding the start of the Russian president’s two-day state visit.
A wide-ranging joint statement released by the two leaders laid out their countries’ alignment on a range of issues, including energy, trade, security and geopolitics with specific references to Ukraine, Taiwan and the conflict in the Middle East.
The visit – Putin’s symbolic first overseas foray since beginning a new term as Russia’s president last week – is the latest sign of strained relations as the two bind their countries more closely in the face of severe friction with the West.
The statement said Sino-Russian relations have withstood “the test of rapid changes in the world, demonstrating strength and stability, and are experiencing the best period in their history,” with the two leaders calling each other “priority partners.”
A giant wall of water unleashed by a unique weapon
Putin, whose country’s economy has become increasingly dependent on China since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, hailed the countries’ “practical cooperation” at meetings with Xi, noting their record bilateral trade last year, while stressing the importance of the strengthening of energy, industry, and cooperation in the field of agriculture, according to Russian state media TASS.
Their meeting is the fourth time Putin and Xi have spoken face-to-face since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine – weeks after the two announced a “no-holds-barred” partnership on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
This week’s state visit comes amid growing international concern about the direction of the war in Ukraine amid a slowdown in aid to Kiev and as Russia’s economy and defense complex appear defiant by Western sanctions, a situation that United States officials say , that it is linked to Chinese support, which Beijing denies.
Putin says he and Xi will discuss the war in Ukraine in informal talks later Thursday evening, which are expected to include newly appointed Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and his predecessor, Sergei Shoigu, now secretary of Russia’s Security Council.
Increasing international pressure on Ukraine
Putin’s red carpet welcome in Beijing comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced through his office that he would suspend all upcoming international visits as his troops defend against a surprise Russian offensive in his country’s northeastern Kharkiv region.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was in Kiev earlier this week to reaffirm the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine after months of congressional delays in approving US military aid to the embattled country.
Blinken pledged $2.5 billion (S$2 billion) in foreign military funding and said much-needed ammunition and weapons were being urgently delivered to the front lines.
Pressure is also mounting on Xi from both the US and Europe to ensure that China’s growing exports to Russia since the start of the war do not support the Kremlin’s war effort.
White House officials in recent weeks have confronted Beijing over what they say is significant support for Russia’s defense industrial base — in the form of goods such as machine tools, drones and turbojet engines, and microelectronics exported from China.
Beijing criticized the US for making “baseless accusations” about “normal trade and economic exchanges” between China and Russia.
Beijing has never condemned Russia’s invasion, rather it has claimed neutrality in the conflict and published a vaguely worded 12-point position on its resolution.
Ahead of an expected peace conference in Switzerland next month, Xi called for peace talks that take into account the positions of both sides.
As for Ukraine, Russia said in a joint statement on Thursday that it welcomed China’s willingness to “play a constructive role” in the political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict and that “it is necessary to eliminate its root causes and adhere to the principle of indivisibility of security,” in an apparent allusion to their shared view that NATO is responsible for the conflict in Ukraine.
“China hopes for peace and stability in Europe soon and continues to play a constructive role,” Xi said
[ad_2]
