Russia and China pledge to maintain special relationship despite Moscow’s slow response to coronavirus
- The two countries have reaffirmed the importance of their partnership, with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping set to meet at least three times this year
- Russian delays in sending help to Wuhan may be down to the recent changes in the government
China and Russia have promised to maintain their special relationship and close exchanges amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
While Moscow was slow to provide help and had even threatened to deport three Chinese people who tested positive for the coronavirus that causes the disease, observers suggested this was down to internal confusion following the recent shake-up in the Russian government.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin will meet at least three times this year, according to Russia’s ambassador to China Andrey Densiov.
Xi will first go to Moscow in May to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the second world war, and will also visit St Petersburg in July. In return, Putin will visit China later in the year.
“We have a lot of meetings and a lot of trips but every year there is the main event – the state or official visit. Last year Xi Jinping came on a visit to our country so this year it’s our turn”, Denisov told Russian media earlier this week.