Xi and Putin to put on show of unity after Russia and China left out of Biden’s democracy summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a virtual meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, their second virtual discussion this year

Both countries face criticism and pressure from the West, but observers say presenting a united front would signal to the US in particular they are aligned

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday, their second for the year. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 12:00am, 14 Dec 2021Updated: 1:12am, 14 Dec 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a virtual meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as both countries face mounting diplomatic pressure from the West.

The meeting, announced on Monday by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be the second virtual discussion between the two leaders this year, which analysts say is a show of solidarity between Beijing and Moscow, especially towards Washington.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not reveal what the two presidents would discuss but said the details would be released afterwards.

“At the meeting, the two heads of state will give a full review of China-Russia relations and cooperation in various fields this year and make top-level designs for the development of bilateral ties next year,” Wang said.

The two countries have announced deeper ties on a wide range of shared interests, including building a lunar space station.

They have also criticised the democracy summit hosted by Washington last week, an effort to rally support from around the world for democratic norms that excluded Beijing and Moscow.