Xi: Relations between China and Russia have withstood “storms and changes” in the world and have become a model of cooperation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently on a two-day state visit to his host, Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Today, the most important summit talks are taking place, as well as discussions between the delegations of the two countries, while tomorrow Putin will visit the Chinese city of Harbin in the northeast of the country, the administrative center of Heilongjiang province, which maintains strong cultural ties with Russia and where a Russian community resides. He will attend a bilateral trade exhibition and the 4th Russia-China forum on interregional cooperation.
Talks lasted for two and a half hours The talks in Beijing were initially held in a narrower, and then in an expanded format, lasting for two and a half hours. A joint dinner of the two statesmen is planned, during which they are expected to discuss Ukraine in particular.
After today’s talks, it was announced that Moscow and Beijing are unanimous in their belief that the creation of closed military-political alliances in the Asia-Pacific region is harmful and counterproductive. This was stated by Vladimir Putin at a joint press conference.
“We believe it is necessary to work on building a reliable and appropriate security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, where there is no place for closed military-political alliances. We believe that it is very harmful and counterproductive to create such alliances,” said the Russian leader.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that Moscow and Beijing will work together to establish a multipolar world. “China and Russia promote the emergence of a multipolar world and the process of economic globalization through genuine multilateralism,” he said.
Xi also spoke about the threats to the security of all countries, stating: “In today’s world, the mentality of the Cold War is still prevalent. Unilateral hegemony, bloc confrontation, and power politics directly threaten world peace and the security of all countries.”
In addition to confirming that his country remains a reliable partner of Russia, Xi Jinping said that the relations between the two countries have withstood “storms and changes in international dynamics” and have become “a model of mutual respect and cooperation.”
“The sustainable development of relations between China and Russia not only meets the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, but also serves the goal of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world as a whole. In the new journey ahead, we intend, as always, to be good neighbors, reliable friends, and trustworthy partners with Russia, consistently strengthen the centuries-old friendship between our two peoples, jointly strive for national development and rejuvenation, and jointly defend international equality and justice,” concluded Xi Jinping.
“China and Russia firmly support the international system centered on the UN, a world order based on international law, and closely coordinate their positions on multilateral platforms such as the UN, APEC, and G20,” said the Chinese leader.
Ceremonial Welcome Xi personally welcomed Putin at the People’s Palace, where the Russian leader arrived accompanied by a convoy of as many as 21 security vehicles. The two leaders walked the red carpet and greeted officials from both countries, and were also greeted by a guard of honor, the highest form of honor that China shows to statesmen it deems worthy, according to Chinese media reports.
This is Putin’s second visit to China since the two countries agreed to promote a borderless partnership in 2022, shortly before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. It is expected that the current personal contacts between Xi and Putin will lead to further deepening of Russian-Chinese relations.
Chinese-Russian trade last year reached a record $240 billion, more than doubling from $108 billion in 2020. This was largely due to increased Chinese purchases of Russian oil and the export of cars, electronics, and industrial equipment to Russia.
An interesting fact, which speaks for itself and explains the current “honeymoon” in the relations between the two countries, is that Putin has met with Xi more than 40 times since 2012 when the Chinese leader came to power in Beijing. Subsequently, for his first foreign state visit, he chose Moscow, and the rest is history.
Joint Statement After today’s bilateral talks, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin signed a Joint Statement on Deepening the Relationship of Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Interaction, entering a new era in the context of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to the Russian state agency TASS.
“This document sets new major tasks and long-term perspectives for the development of the entire complex of Russian-Chinese relations, which will be facilitated by the signing of a package of intergovernmental, interdepartmental, and trade agreements prepared for this visit today,” said Putin signing the statement.
Earlier, his assistant for international relations, Yuri Ushakov, said it was a detailed document consisting of more than 30 pages, adding that it confirms “the leading role of Russia and China in shaping a just and democratic order.”
