Chinese language President Xi Jinping plans to go to Russia subsequent week from Monday to Wednesday, in an obvious present of help for Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid sharpening East-West tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine is anticipated to dominate Putin and Xi’s discussions. China has refused to sentence Moscow’s aggression and sought to challenge itself as impartial within the battle even whereas Beijing declared final 12 months that it had a “no-limits” friendship with Russia.
The assembly between the leaders was introduced by each international locations on Friday.
China has stated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all international locations ought to be revered, whereas condemning Western sanctions and accusing NATO and the USA of upsetting Russia into army motion.
On Thursday, Chinese language Overseas Minister Qin Gang informed his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that Beijing was involved in regards to the year-old battle spinning uncontrolled and urged talks on a political answer with Moscow.
China has “all the time upheld an goal and truthful stance on the Ukraine subject, has dedicated itself to selling peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the worldwide neighborhood to create situations for peace talks,” Qin stated.
Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin “mentioned the importance of the precept of territorial integrity.”
“I underscored the significance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s)’s peace components for ending the aggression and restoring simply peace in Ukraine,” wrote Kuleba, who spoke the identical day with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, stated in a day by day briefing on Friday that Xi “can have an in-depth trade of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and main worldwide and regional problems with frequent concern, promote strategic cooperation and sensible cooperation between the 2 international locations, and inject new impetus into the event of bilateral relations.”
“Presently, the world is coming into a brand new interval of turbulences and reform with the accelerated evolution of adjustments of the century. As everlasting members of the UN Safety Council and essential main international locations, the importance and influence of the China-Russia relations go far past the bilateral sphere,” he added.
The journey comes after the destruction of a US drone over the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian fighter jets, which introduced the 2 international locations closest to direct battle since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine a 12 months in the past.
The Kremlin on Friday additionally introduced Xi’s go to, saying it might happen “on the invitation of Vladimir Putin.”
Xi and Putin will focus on “problems with additional growth of complete partnership and strategic interplay between Russia and China,” in addition to trade views “within the context of deepening Russian-Chinese language cooperation within the worldwide area,” the Kremlin stated in a press release.
The 2 leaders may even signal “essential bilateral paperwork,” the assertion learn.
Putin invited Xi to go to Russia throughout a video convention name the 2 held in late December. The go to, Putin stated, may “exhibit to the entire world the energy of the Russian-Chinese language ties” and “turn out to be the principle political occasion of the 12 months in bilateral relations.”
