Chinese President Xi Jinping says visit to Russia will be a ‘fruitful’ one
- Xi arrived in Moscow on Monday, becoming the first major leader to visit since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine last year
- Putin, who was recently indicted for war crimes, used an article in Chinese state media to attack the ‘collective West’ for trying to contain Russia and China
After landing at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport at about 1pm local time on Monday, Xi said he would have “an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern” during his meetings with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
“I am confident that the visit will yield fruitful results and give new impetus to the healthy and stable development of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between China and Russia in the new era,” Xi said, according to a transcript published by state broadcaster CCTV.
He also hailed the deepening ties between the two neighbours, which he said were “not aligned, not confrontational and not targeting third parties”.
As permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia have played significant roles in global affairs, Xi added.
“In the face of a turbulent and changing world, China is ready to continue to work with the Russian side … to push forward a multipolarity and … promote the development of global governance in a more just and reasonable direction”, he said.
This is Xi’s ninth visit to Russia as Chinese leader and his first overseas trip since beginning his groundbreaking third term earlier this month.