The Russian president arrived in the Chinese capital on Thursday for a two-day visit to Xi Jinping, his first trip abroad since his re-election in March and his second to China in just over six months.
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Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin welcomed, Thursday May 16, in Beijing, the relationship between their two countries as a factor of “stability” in the world. The Russian president arrived at dawn in the Chinese capital for a two-day visit, his first trip abroad since his re-election in March and his second to China in just over six months.
The China-Russia relationship “is not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also conducive to peace”estimated Chinese President Xi Jinping. “China is ready to work with Russia to… support fairness and justice in the world.”
This relationship is “a factor of stability on the international scene”estimated his Russian counterpart, cited by the Kremlin. “It is not opportunistic and it is not directed against anyone.” Vladimir Putin, however, hopes for increased support from China for his war in Ukraine.
The Asian giant is a crucial economic lifeline for Russia, plagued by heavy Western sanctions to punish it for its military offensive in Ukraine. Having just returned from a tour of France, Serbia and Hungary, Xi Jinping defended the right to maintain normal economic ties with his Russian neighbor.
China benefits in particular from cheap Russian energy imports. The two countries had celebrated in early 2022, just before the outbreak of the invasion of Ukraine, a bilateral partnership described as “without limits”.
In an interview with the official Xinhua news agency published on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin welcomed the “sincere desire” of Beijing to work towards resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
