Xi, Putin hail 'deepening' Russia-China ties following talks
October 18, 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping lauded the "political mutual trust" between Russia and China in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese state media reported Wednesday, with Xi adding that ties between the countries were "continuously deepening."
Putin's trip this week to Beijing for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum is the Russian president's first visit to a major global power since his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and comes as China and Russia seek to join hands in presenting what they consider to be an alternative global order.
The Russian leader on Wednesday addressed the forum, and praised the BRI, calling it an unexpected "success story."
Putin said Russia and China shared "the desire for equal, mutually beneficial cooperation in order to achieve ... long-term economic progress and social well-being."
Putin added the two countries "respected the diversity of civilization and the right of each state to its own development model."
Xi called for joint efforts by China and Russia to "safeguard international fairness" and "justice", state news agency Xinhua said, hailing the "close and effective strategic coordination" between their two countries.
China-Russia relations solidify
Putin last visited China for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022, days before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
At the time, Russia and China declared what they called a "no-limits" partnership. The two leaders have referred to each other as "dear friends," and have met 42 times in the past 10 years, Chinese state media reported.
China is Russia's biggest trading partner, with exchange between the nations reaching up to $190 billion last year, according to Chinese customs data. China also imports large quantities of Russian oil.
China has also refused to criticize Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, drawing criticism from many western nations.
In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of being responsible for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. In August, Putin skipped attending in person the BRICS summit in South Africa. However, China is not a member of the ICC.
On the sidelines of the BRI forum, Putin accepted an invitation from Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong to visit Vietnam as the two met on the sidelines of the BRI forum. Putin was also invited by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to visit Thailand. Thai officials said he has accepted the invitation, but is yet to set a date.
What is the BRI?
The BRI is a keystone of Chinese foreign policy under Xi, which seeks to build alliances mainly in developing nations through funding major infrastructure projects. The BRI has been criticized for saddling recipient countries with debt.
Earlier at the forum, Xi had told the international delegates attending the conference that China rejects "economic coercion" and "bloc confrontation."
He added Beijing would not engage in "ideological confrontation, geopolitical games or bloc confrontation."
"We oppose unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, decoupling and delinking," Xi told delegates.
Xi also announced that two key Belt and Road lenders, the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank, will provide an additional $100 billion in loans for the initiative.
tg/wmr (AFP, Reuters)