In a significant display of their growing alignment,Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have pledged to strengthen their strategic partnership during Putin’s state visit to Beijing on Thursday. The visit, Putin’s first symbolic overseas trip since his recent reelection, underscores the deepening ties between the two nations amidst escalating tensions with the West, particularly amid Russia’s ongoing military actions in Ukraine.
Putin’s arrival in Beijing was met with full military honors at the Great Hall of the People, where he was welcomed by Xi. The leaders signed a joint statement affirming their commitment to bolstering their relationship, with Xi emphasizing that their cooperation would inject vitality into their bilateral ties.
The visit marks the fourth face-to-face meeting between Putin and Xi since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which came shortly after the two leaders declared an expansive partnership during the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The timing of Putin’s visit, amid international scrutiny of the conflict in Ukraine and mounting pressure on both China and Russia, underscores the significance of their alliance.
Xi hailed the two countries’ deepening ties, which were formalized in a joint statement inked by the leaders in a ceremony Thursday afternoon, saying they would “inject strong momentum” in the development of their relations.
The visit — Putin’s symbolic first overseas foray since entering a new term as Russia’s president last week – is the latest sign of the tightening relations as the two bind their countries closer in the face of heavy frictions with the West.
In meetings with Putin, Xi proclaimed that China-Russian relations have “stood the test of a changing international landscape” and made “positive contributions to maintaining global strategic stability,” according to a readout from China’s Foreign Ministry.
Putin, whose economy has become increasingly reliant on China since his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, hailed the countries’ “practical cooperation” in meetings with Xi, noting their record bilateral trade last year, while stressing the importance of bolstering energy, industrial, and agriculture cooperation, according to Russian state media Tass.
Their meeting is Putin and Xi’s fourth time speaking face-to-face since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – which came weeks after the two declared a “no limits” partnership on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
This week’s state visit comes amid mounting international concern about the direction of the war in Ukraine amid delays to aid for Kyiv and as Russia’s economy and defense complex appears unbowed by Western sanctions – a situation that United States officials have alleged 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 Russian’s newly appointed Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and his predecessor Sergei Shoigu, now secretary of Russia’s Security Council.
In an interview with Chinese state media Xinhua ahead of his arrival, Putin praised China’s “approaches to resolving the crisis in Ukraine.”
Speaking alongside Putin Thursday, the Chinese leader said both countries “agree that political resolution to the Ukraine issue is the right direction” and called for the construction of a “balanced, effective and sustainable security framework” – an allusion to Beijing and Moscow’s shared view is that NATO is to blame for the war in Europe.
“China hopes for peace and stability in Europe soon, and continues to play a constructive role,” Xi said.
Source: CNN
