Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Russia
Chinese President Xi Jinping begins a trip to Russia on Monday. The three-day state visit to a country with which China has strong diplomatic and economic ties is the Chinese leader’s first to his neighbor in nearly four years.
In an article published in the Russian newspaper Rossiskaya GazetaXi Jinping presented his arrival as a “journey of friendship, cooperation and peace”.
Chinese President and Vladimir Putin will have a first face-to-face “informal” Monday before a dinner, then discussions on Tuesday, said the Kremlin’s diplomatic adviser, Yuri Ouchakov. “I look forward to working with President Putin to embrace a new vision together” bilateral ties, writes Mr. Xi in particular.
On the strength of having facilitated the recent diplomatic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, China is positioning itself as a mediator on the Russia-Ukraine war and calls in particular for peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.
In an article published Monday in a Chinese newspaper, Vladimir Putin, greets him, “China’s willingness to play a constructive role in the settlement” of the conflict and believes that “Russian-Chinese relations have reached the highest point in their history”.
China has not publicly condemned the Russian invasion, criticized the United States for arms deliveries to Ukraine and NATO for failing to address Russian security concerns. However, Beijing calls for dialogue as well as respect for the territorial integrity of all States – including therefore Ukraine.
“No country should dictate the international order”wrote Xi Jinping in the article published in the Russian newspaper. “China has always upheld an objective and unbiased position based on the substance of the issue and actively promoted the peace talks. » A position deemed too lukewarm by several Western countries, for whom China thus tacitly supports Russian aggression.
kyiv is following this visit with apprehension, fearing that Beijing may eventually decide to deliver arms to Moscow, and thus influence the outcome of the war. But according to the American daily wall street journalXi Jinping, in the name of the neutrality displayed by his country, could also meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, once back in China.