Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow next week to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, his first official visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.
Beijing, which has strengthened its ties with Moscow in recent years in common opposition to the West, presents itself as a neutral party in the conflict in Ukraine.
“At the invitation of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from March 20 to 22,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
It will be a “movement for friendship and peace”, he added.
Monday, “it will be a one-on-one conversation, there will be an informal lunch. And from March 21, a day of negotiations will be held, ”detailed the spokesperson for the Russian presidency Dmitry Peskov.
The two presidents will have “an in-depth exchange of views […] on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common interest,” said a spokesman for Chinese diplomacy, Wang Wenbin.
“Changes unseen in a century are happening right now, and the world has entered a new turbulent period,” Wang told a regular press briefing.
The two leaders “will discuss deepening the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China” especially “on the international scene”, the Russian presidency said in a statement, adding that “important bilateral documents would be signed “.
Friendship “without limit”
Beijing-Moscow relations were tumultuous during the Cold War, but the two neighbors have grown significantly closer in recent decades to stand together against US influence.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met in September on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan.
During this first meeting since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, they showed their desire to support each other and strengthen their ties in the midst of a crisis with Westerners.
The Russian president had visited Beijing a few months earlier for the Winter Olympics. The two leaders then proclaimed their “unlimited” friendship. A few days later, Vladimir Putin launched his troops against Ukraine.
The announcement of Xi Jinping’s trip to Russia comes the day after a telephone conversation between Chinese and Ukrainian foreign ministers.
“China fears that the crisis will worsen and get out of control,” Chinese Minister Qin Gang told his interlocutor, according to a statement from his ministry.
“She hopes all parties will keep calm, exercise restraint, resume peace talks as soon as possible and return to the path of a political settlement. »
A wish that seems for the moment pious. On Friday, Moscow raised its voice after Slovakia announced the upcoming delivery to Ukraine of 13 MiG-29 fighter jets, becoming the second NATO country after Poland to make such a decision.
The Kremlin immediately denounced the “increasing involvement” of NATO countries in the conflict with kyiv.
“The delivery of this military equipment, as we have repeated many times, cannot affect the outcome” of the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the press. “Of course, this equipment will be destroyed.”
“China respects”
In February, China issued a 12-point document urging Moscow and kyiv to hold peace talks.
The text opposes any recourse to nuclear weapons and calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries – also implying that of Ukraine, part of whose territory is under Russian control.
This document was greeted with caution by Westerners because China has never publicly condemned Russia.
“The question of whether (China) is really stepping up its efforts to play a peacemaking role […] will depend on the content of what it proposes during meetings with Russian and Ukrainian leaders,” Ja-Ian Chong, an expert in Chinese foreign policy at the National University of Singapore, told AFP.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the Chinese president has never met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
But according to the American daily The Wall Street Journala conversation could take place after Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow.
Last month, the Ukrainian president had expressed his wish to exchange with his Chinese counterpart. “It will be important for global security. China respects territorial integrity and must do everything to ensure that Russia leaves the territory of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.