On Tuesday, on the second day of his visit to Moscow, President Xi Jinping was officially welcomed to the Kremlin in a special ceremony, held with great pomp in the largest hall of the palace. This is how the real Russian-Chinese summit began in this first official visit of the Chinese leader to the Russian Federation, on the agenda of which there were to be mainly issues related to the conflict in Ukraine and, very importantly, to the increasingly close bilateral relations between Beijing and Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin stated that on this second day he held “very important and sincere” talks with his Chinese counterpart, which allowed him to express his confidence that their relations “will strengthen”. “A very important exchange of views took place regarding the prospects for the development of Russian-Chinese relations”, Vladimir Putin also said at the end of the talks held in the Kremlin, declaring himself confident that “our cooperative relations are varied and mutual benefits will continue to develop”. Vladimir Putin, reports the correspondent of the “Le Figaro” newspaper, assured his Chinese counterpart that Russia is capable of covering China’s growing energy needs, given that Russian hydrocarbons are sanctioned in the West. According to him, the goal is to deliver at least 98 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas and 100 million tons of LNG to China by 2030.
China and Russia have reached an agreement on the gigantic Force of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project, which will connect Siberia to northwestern China, Vladimir Putin announced at the end of bilateral talks. “All the agreements have been concluded”, Vladimir Putin expressed his satisfaction, stating that, “upon entry into operation, 50 billion cubic meters of gas will be routed through this gas pipeline intended for a significant increase in Russian deliveries to China”.
President Putin emphasized before the state dinner organized at the Kremlin in honor of the President of China that he, personally, “sees unlimited possibilities” in Russian-Chinese cooperation. “I am sure that there are truly unlimited possibilities and prospects for Russian-Chinese cooperation.”
Xi Jinping responded with a statement worth remembering: he proposed (according to the Russian translation on TV stations) “strengthening cooperation and coordination” between their two countries, permanent members of the UN Security Council…”I am ready, the Chinese leader added, to develop a plan with you to strengthen bilateral relations”.
Let there never be a nuclear war
Russia and China declare “against any nuclear war”, in full tension with the West, stressing that such a confrontation would only end with losers.” The parties, it is said in the joint statement signed at the end of the Kremlin talks, again that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it must never be launched,” both Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping said. In this context, Vladimir Putin, referring to some information according to which the United Kingdom announced not only the delivery of tanks to Ukraine, but also shells containing enriched uranium, warned that Russia “will be forced to respond”.
China is favorable to a “peaceful settlement” of the conflict in Ukraine, Xi Jinping declared in front of Vladimir Putin, offering, in an indirect way, to impose himself as a mediator between Moscow and Kiev. Xi Jinping also recalled on this occasion the peace plan in Ukraine designed by Beijing, stressing that it is based on the principles of the UN… and aims for a peaceful settlement”. “We are always for peace and dialogue”, he emphasized. Vladimir Putin stated that Russia “respects” the peace plan devised by Beijing, stating that “many of its points can serve as a basis for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, when the West and Kiev are ready for it.” However, he claimed that he “does not see any disposition” from the Ukrainian authorities to find a way out of the conflict based on the peace plan proposed by China.