China confirms Xi Jinping will make ‘visit of friendship, cooperation and peace’ to Russia as speculation over Ukraine role mounts
- Beijing says the Chinese leader will meet Vladimir Putin to discuss a blueprint for the development of future relations and ways to deepen cooperation
- China recently told Ukraine it was willing to play a ‘constructive role’ in looking for ways to end the conflict, which began when Russia invaded last year
Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin described the trip as a “visit of friendship, cooperation and peace”.
“During his visit to Russia, President Xi Jinping will have in-depth communication with President [Vladimir] Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues, jointly draw up a new blueprint for the future development of relations between the two countries and promote the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia in various fields,” Wang told a regular press briefing.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, said a number of important bilateral documents would be signed during Xi’s trip.
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When asked about China’s position on the war, Wang again denied China has supplied weapons to Russia and stressed that China’s cooperation with Russia was always legitimate and within the boundaries of international law.
“Cooperation between China and Russia is always open and transparent with nothing to hide,” Wang said. “[Our purpose] is about creating benefits for the people of the two countries, promoting development in the world, and will not be affected by interference and threats from other countries.”
According to Wang, discussions between Xi and Putin will focus on the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, the Eurasian Economic Union promoted by Moscow and the safeguarding of global supply chains in order to “bring more positive energy” to the world economic recovery.
He denied Beijing and Moscow were forging an alliance but said there was still much room for cooperation between the two.
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China and Russia reaffirm ‘rock solid’ ties at meeting in Moscow
“China-Russia relations are based on the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation and not targeting any third parties, and the two countries have always adhered to the principle of building a partnership but not an alliance, favouring dialogue and not confrontation, and advocating the development of a new type of relationship among [world] powers that is based on peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation,” he said.
The spokesman also made a thinly veiled swipe against the United States saying Beijing’s partnership with Moscow was different from the “hegemonic bullying” by some countries which have held onto their “cold war mentality”.
“China is always committed to maintaining the international order which has the United Nations at its core and is based on international laws, upholding genuine multilateralism, promoting a multipolar world and the democratisation of international relations, and pushing global governance in a more just and reasonable direction,” he added.
China and Russia announced a “no limits” partnership and signed a series of cooperation deals in February last year when Putin visited Beijing just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Against the backdrop of the severe Western sanctions placed on Moscow since then, bilateral trade between China and Russia recorded a 34.3 per cent year-on-year jump to hit a record of 1.3 trillion yuan (US$190 billion) in 2022, according to the latest Chinese customs data.
While China’s exports to Russia grew by 17.5 per cent – mainly consisting of electronic goods, manufactured products and high-end equipment – its imports from Russia rose by 48.6 per cent and mostly consisted of gas, oil and coal after sanctions targeted its energy market.
Rail shipments of liquefied natural gas from Russia to China more than doubled and pipeline natural gas transport through the Power of Siberia rose by at least half.
