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China-Russia relations: Xi and Putin show united front in message to Biden
- Moscow and Beijing deny they are looking to form a Cold War-style political and military coalition
- But in a turbulent world, they ‘need to strengthen strategic cooperation’
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Beijing and Moscow have stepped up their rhetoric against Washington and its allies, vowing to strengthen their quasi-alliance and promote a “more just and democratic international order” to counterbalance the United States and its ideologically driven offensive.
Despite speculation about an emerging anti-US axis, a joint statement issued after a virtual summit between President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday denied that their countries were seeking a Cold War-style political and military coalition.
Instead, they hailed bilateral ties as “mature, stable, and solid” and each other as “priority partners”.
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Nevertheless, the second summit in six weeks between the strongman leaders and the lengthy statement were clearly aimed at US President Joe Biden.
Biden, who made the fight against China-led authoritarianism a priority, met Putin in Geneva two weeks ago in a bid to stabilise Washington’s testy ties with Moscow and halt its further drift into Beijing’s orbit.
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“Some countries use ideology to draw lines, brutally interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign countries, impose unilateral sanctions at every turn, shake the legal foundation of the international relations system, including the arms control field,” the statement said.
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