Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday promised Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Michoustin visiting Beijing his “firm support” in terms of “fundamental interests” and called for “strengthening” economic cooperation with Moscow, hit by Western sanctions.
Former rivals during the Cold War, China and Russia have been strengthening their diplomatic and commercial relations for a decade, a trend that has accelerated since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Claiming to be neutral in the conflict, Beijing calls for respect for the sovereignty of states, but has never publicly condemned the military operation carried out by Russian President Vladimir Putin since February 2022.
Mikhail Michoustin is the highest Russian official to visit China since the start of the invasion. Arriving in China on Monday, he met his counterpart Li Qiang and the Chinese president in Beijing on Wednesday.
“China is willing to continue firm mutual support with Russia on issues of fundamental interests of each,” Xi Jinping told his host, according to the New China news agency.
This vague formulation is often used by Beijing in the context of bilateral meetings with foreign leaders and often refers on the Chinese side to the question of Taiwan.
Xi Jinping also pleaded for “strengthening coordination in multilateral fora such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS and the G20”, according to New China.
China and Russia should “raise cooperation in various fields to a higher level,” Xi said, calling for “enhancing the level of economic, trade and investment cooperation.”
“Illegitimate”
Earlier Wednesday, Mikhail Michoustine had greeted in front of his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang bilateral relations “of an unprecedented level” during a meeting at the monumental Hall of the People in Beijing.
“They are characterized by mutual respect for each other’s interests, the desire to respond together to the challenges, which are linked to increased turbulence on the international scene and the pressure of illegitimate sanctions from the collective West”, said he added.
China is Russia’s largest trading partner, with trade reaching US$190 billion in 2022, according to China Customs.
Li Qiang pointed out that the amount of trade had already reached 70 billion dollars in the first four months of the year – an annual increase of more than 40%.
“The scale of investment between the two countries continues to grow. Major strategic projects are also progressing steadily,” said the Chinese premier.
Mikhail Michoustine is accompanied by several senior Russian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister for Energy, Alexander Novak.
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China last year became Russia’s largest customer in the energy sector, allowing Moscow, under Western sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine, not to see its gas exports collapse.
Alexander Novak said Russian energy deliveries to China will increase by 40% in 2023, according to Russian news agencies.
According to analysts, China, given its economic and diplomatic weight, now has the upper hand in its relationship with Russia, a growing imbalance as Moscow’s international isolation grows.
The leaders of the two countries have “grown closer because of common grievances and concerns than because of common goals,” Ryan Hass, a member of the American think tank Brookings Institution, told AFP.
“They resent and feel threatened by Western leadership in the current international system and believe their countries should be given more respect on issues where their interests are at stake.”
In February, the Chinese government issued a document that called for a “political settlement” of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and to respect the territorial integrity of all countries — including Ukraine.
At a summit in March in Moscow, Xi Jinping invited his counterpart Vladimir Putin to come to Beijing.