Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday, where he was expected to stress Beijing’s role as a potential peacemaker in the Ukraine conflict, while Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped for support against Western pressure.
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This Monday, the presidents held a meeting to strengthen bilateral cooperation ties between the two nations.
During the meeting, the first of the Chinese president’s state visit to Russia, President Putin stressed that relations between the two nations aim to strengthen the construction of a multipolar system.
Xi Jinping to Putin: “I always call him my dear friend. I am very pleased with the invitation from him, I chose Russia as the first country of my foreign visit after the re-election as president of China ”
The multipolar world in action
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March 20, 2023
“Taken together, our interaction on the international scene undoubtedly contributes to strengthening the fundamental principles of the world order and the multipolar system,” the Russian leader stressed.
Xi will be the first global leader to meet President Putin since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday for the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia since the outbreak of hostilities a year ago.
Moscow said the accusation was one of several “clearly hostile manifestations”, while Beijing said it reflected double standards.
Russia presents Xi’s trip, his first since he secured a third term this month, as evidence that it has an important ally in its differences with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“We can feel that the geopolitical landscape in the outside world is undergoing drastic changes,” Putin said in a China People’s Daily article posted on the Kremlin’s website, adding that he had high hopes for his “good old man’s” visit. friend”.
China has launched a 12-point proposal to resolve the Ukraine crisis while strengthening ties with Moscow.
The Chinese government has repeatedly rejected Western accusations that it plans to arm Russia, but says it wants a closer energy partnership after boosting imports of Russian coal, gas and oil.
Western sanctions mean cheaper prices that have saved Beijing billions of dollars.
Russian state television showed Xi arriving at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Monday afternoon. She was to have “informal” talks with Putin, followed by dinner. Formal talks are scheduled for Tuesday.
Putin welcomed China’s mediation offer and the Kremlin said it would provide Xi with detailed “clarifications” on Russia’s position, without elaborating. Putin signed an “unlimited” partnership with Xi last year.
China and Russia advocate democratizing international relations
“China is ready to firmly uphold with Russia an international system based on the UN…, to promote multipolarity in the world and the democratization of international relations,” Xi said after descending the stairs of the plane that landed in Vnukovo-2 airport, according to local agencies.
Xi, whose country rejected the arrest warrant against Putin issued last Friday by the International Criminal Court (ICC), stressed that Moscow and Beijing “are guardians of a world order based on international law.”
“During the last 10 years, bilateral relations have been strengthened and developed on the basis of non-adherence, non-confrontation and non-alignment against a third party, they have created an example of inter-state relations based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation,” he stressed.