(Reuters) – Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev traveled to Beijing for a surprise diplomatic visit and met Chinese President Xi Jinping for a talk during which they reportedly discussed the Ukraine conflict.
Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, posted a video on his Telegram channel showing him with Xi Jinping, smiling for photos, as well as a meeting between Chinese and Russian officials.
Dmitry Medvedev said he and Xi Jinping discussed the “limitless” strategic partnership of the two countries, as well as Ukraine. He did not provide further details.
“We discussed cooperation between the two ruling parties in China and Russia, (…) bilateral cooperation within the framework of our strategic partnership, especially in the field of economy and industrial production. We also discussed international issues – including, of course, the conflict in Ukraine,” Dmitry Medvedev said.
“The interviews were useful,” he added.
Russia has accelerated its rapprochement with Beijing after a series of Western sanctions passed in response to the invasion of Ukraine in February, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.
Russia is seeking to develop closer economic, political and security ties with China to compensate for its deteriorating relations with the West. She sees in Xi Jinping a potential ally in the context of an anti-Western coalition.
(Reuters report, French version Augustin Turpin, edited by Kate Entringer)
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