Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will travel this Wednesday, May 7 to Russia on the occasion of the celebration of the 80 years of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. In the three days that the visit will last, you will keep With Vladimir Putin a “strategic communication” on the “development of Sino-Ruses” and a series of “important International and regional issues,” according to Beijing.
Xi Jinping has visited the Kremlin ten times since he assumed China’s presidency in 2013. His Russian counterpart has also traveled to Beijing, the last time in May 2024. The relationship of the two nations is long and predicts a narrowing of ties for the future.
Vladimir Putin makes his official visit to China at a time of maximum tension with the West
Putin held on April 1 a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Moscow. Then, he cataloged a XI as a “dear friend” and invited him to participate in the celebration he will finally attend.
According to a statement issued by the Chinese ministry on the meeting, the Russian leader said that “Relationships between China and Russia have become matureresilient and stable, with an increasingly deep mutual confidence. “
In turn, the Beijing spokesman said that “Friendship between China and Russia It is not oriented only to the present, but has the view set in the future in the long term ”.
In the background, the question of tariffs
The Chinese press has highlighted that the visit occurs at a time when “the international order is experiencing deep adjustments and multilateralism is being challenged”, something called to “Promote the relationship between China and Russiademonstrating to the international community the firm position of both countries to oppose intimidating practices, “alluding to Donald Trump.
China tries to reinforce ties with its neighbors to deal with the commercial war
On April 2, the US president intensified his commercial warwith the announcement of the entry into force of “reciprocal tariffs”. It imposed a 145%tax on Chinese imports. China did the same with the Americans, to which it applied a 125%tariff.
Last Friday Beijing announced being “evaluating” negotiating with Washingtonfor which, he said, it would be necessary for “correcting its erroneous unilateral tariff measures.”
The other scenario, Ukraine
The visit will coincide with a 72 -hour truce in Ukraineraised from Unilateral form by Moscow For the festivities of the end of World War II, which will enter into force at midnight from May 7 to 8.
China has maintained, since the beginning of the war, a warm position regarding conflict. On the one hand, he has publicly advocated a “peaceful resolution”, on the other, he has avoided clearly condemning the Russian aggression on Ukraine, although he has declared respecting the “territorial integrity of the countries.”
The European Unionon the other hand, accuses Beijing to continue being “a key facilitator for the continuous aggression of Russia” without which “could not continue his war against Ukraine with the same force,” according to a press conference Anitta Hipper, community spokesperson for security.
The expert also said that “China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, so it also has the responsibility of defending the United Nations Charter and the International Order.”
During the visit, Xi will seek to strengthen his good relationship with Putin after Trump’s arrival and despite criticism for his support for Moscow: and it is that in February 2022, shortly before the beginning of the war in Ukraine, XI and Putin already declared a “friendship without limits”and since then China has defended that the relationship “does not threaten any country.”
In that sense, the researcher Li Yonghui, of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, highlights the “notable results” achieved in cooperation in sectors such as automotive, electromechanics and agriculture, which have allowed, in 2023, bilateral trade exceeding 240,000 million dollars.
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