Xi also affirmed that his relationship with Russia is “conducive to world peace” by hosting his “old friend” Putin in Beijing, who was received with full military honors in the Great Hall of the People, the enormous headquarters of the ceremonial legislature. , located next to Tiananmen Square, in the center of the Chinese capital.
In their joint statement, Xi assured that he and Putin consider “extremely urgent” to find a solution to the situation in Palestine. Likewise, the Chinese president asked on behalf of the two leaders to “implement the United Nations resolutions” in relation to said conflict.
In recent months, the Asian country has expressed its support for the ‘two-state solution’ and its officials have held numerous meetings with representatives of Arab and Muslim countries to reaffirm this position, while condemning and expressing their “dismay.” for Israeli attacks against civilians in Gaza.
Xi and Putin’s commitment to a “political solution” in Ukraine
China often calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries (including, implicitly, Ukraine), but has also called for Russia’s security concerns to be taken into consideration.
“Both sides agree that the path forward is a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine,” Xi declared to the press, recalling that “China’s position on this issue has always been clear.”
Putin thanked China for “the initiatives it has presented to resolve this problem,” as he referred to the war in Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and that appears to have no end in sight.
Joe Biden calls Chinese leader Xi Jinping a “dictator”: was it a slip or is it part of his strategy?
On the eve of his trip, Putin had said in an interview with the Chinese press that the Kremlin is willing to negotiate about the war. “ “We are open to dialogue on Ukraine, but these negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours.”said the president, as quoted by the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Moscow has forged an increasingly close relationship with Beijing as the war in Ukraine moved into its third year, diverting most of its energy exports to China and relying on Chinese companies to import high-tech components for its military industries. in order to avoid Western sanctions.
The relationship between the Kremlin and Beijing armies has also become closer. In recent years, they have conducted joint maneuvers, including naval exercises and long-range bomber patrols over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, or ground maneuvers in each other’s territory.
China continues to be an important market for the Russian military, as well as massively expanding its local defense industries, including the construction of aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.
Beijing maintains that it maintains a position of neutrality on the warbut has backed Moscow’s claims that the country was provoked by the West to attack the neighboring country, even though Putin publicly acknowledged that the reason for the attack was his desire to restore Russia’s centuries-old borders.
Putin has blamed the West for the failure of negotiations in the first weeks of the conflict and praised the peace plan that Xi presented at the time, which allowed Moscow to consolidate its territorial gains.
Putin and Xi’s “personal friendship” relationship
Putin’s trip to China also seeks to reaffirm the “limitless” friendship that both leaders proclaimed days before the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, the diplomatic and commercial relationship between Beijing and Moscow has only strengthened. .
Xi has ignored Western criticism of this alliancewhich allows China to import cheap energy from Russia and access its vast natural resources.
Credit: SERGEI BOBYLYOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
“This is Putin’s first trip since his inauguration and aims to demonstrate that Sino-Russian relations are moving to another level,” independent Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev told AFP.
“Not to mention the visibly sincere personal friendship between the two leaders”who will have met face to face four times since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
In statements to the press alongside Xi, the Russian president considered “harmful” any “closed” political and military alliance in the Asia-Pacific region, where Beijing competes with its American rival, which cooperates with Australia and the United Kingdom to tackle the influence of China.
With information from EFE, AP and AFP.
