- At the Beijing summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed the ties between their countries.
- President Putin’s visit to China comes as the Russian military is ramping up its offensive in Ukraine’s Kharkov region.
- During the meeting, the two leaders expressed a desire to end the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict at a Beijing summit on Thursday, as both countries face deepening tensions with the West. They reaffirmed that the “boundless” partnership between the two countries is further deepening.
The two-day state visit to one of Putin’s staunchest allies comes as the country’s military is on the offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in its largest border incursion since the start of a full-scale invasion. I was disappointed.
The largely symbolic visit underscored the partnership between the two countries, which jointly face challenges in their relations with the United States and Europe.
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“Both countries want to show that despite what’s going on globally and despite the pressure both sides face from the United States, they have no intention of turning their backs on each other anytime soon. ” said researcher Professor Foo Tian Boon. Chinese Foreign Policy at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, on May 16, 2024. At Thursday’s Beijing summit, President Putin expressed gratitude for his efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict. The two countries reaffirmed the deepening of their “unlimited” partnership as they face increasing tensions with the West. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin pool photo, via AP)
Both leaders said they were aiming to end the war in Ukraine, but provided no new specifics in their official remarks Thursday afternoon. China has great influence as the main sponsor of Russian aggression.
Although the country claims to be neutral in the conflict, Russia supports Moscow’s claims that it was provoked by the West to attack Ukraine, and that Russia is supplying key parts needed for weapons production to Russia. continues to supply.
China proposed a far-reaching peace plan in 2023, but it was rejected by both Ukraine and the West because it did not ask Russia to withdraw from occupied territory in Ukraine.
President Putin will visit China this week and meet with President Xi, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced
Speaking alongside President Putin, President Xi said, “China hopes for Europe to return to peace and stability as soon as possible, and will continue to play a constructive role towards this end.”
His words echoed what China said last year when it first presented a sweeping peace plan outlining general principles for ending the war in Ukraine.
Putin said he would brief the Chinese leader in detail on the “situation in Ukraine” and “appreciate the initiative of our Chinese colleagues and friends in regulating the situation.” He added that the two sides plan to hold further foreign policy discussions during informal talks later on Thursday.
The two-year war enters a critical phase as Ukraine’s exhausted military awaits fresh supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells from the United States after months of delays following a fresh Russian attack on Ukraine last week. Has entered.
Prior to their remarks, after their first meeting, the two leaders signed a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. President Xi said that China and Russia will continue to maintain a position of non-alignment and non-confrontation.
Thursday’s meeting reaffirmed the friendly “unrestricted” ties the two countries signed in 2022, just before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since then, Russia has increased its economic dependence on China as Western sanctions cut off its access to the international trading system. China’s increased trade with Russia totaled $240 billion last year, helping to alleviate some of the worst fallout from sanctions.
The Russian government directs most of its energy exports to China and relies on Chinese companies to import high-tech parts for Russia’s military industry to avoid Western sanctions.
“President Putin and I agree. We should actively seek points of convergence of our two countries’ interests, develop each other’s advantages, deepen the integration of interests, and realize mutual outcomes,” Xi said.
During the meeting, President Xi congratulated President Putin on his election to a fifth term and celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the former Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, which were established after the 1949 civil war. It is a reliable opposition party in the presidential election and, like Mr. Xi, has not indicated any plans for a potential successor.
On the eve of his visit, Putin said in an interview with Chinese media that the Kremlin was ready to negotiate over the Ukraine conflict. “We are ready for dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including our country,” Putin said, according to state news agency Xinhua. .
Putin said China’s 2023 proposal, rejected by Ukraine and the West, was “the basis for a political and diplomatic process that takes Russia’s security concerns into account and contributes to achieving long-term and sustainable peace.” There is a possibility of building a
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said any negotiations must include restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, withdrawing Russian troops, releasing all prisoners of war, holding a tribunal against those responsible for the invasion, and ensuring Ukraine’s security. said.
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President Putin has blamed the West for failed negotiations in the first weeks of the war and praised China’s peace plan.
Military ties between Russia and China also strengthened during the Ukraine war. The two countries have held a series of joint wargames in recent years, including naval exercises and long-range bomber patrols in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. Russian and Chinese ground forces are also deployed to each other’s territory for joint exercises.
While China remains a major market for the Russian military, its domestic defense industry has also expanded significantly, including the construction of aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.
President Putin has previously said that Russia shares highly sensitive military technology with China, which has helped significantly strengthen its defense capabilities. In October 2019, he said Russia was helping China develop an early warning system to detect ballistic missile launches. The system includes ground radar and satellites owned only by Russia and the United States.
