Xi, Putin pledge more cooperation in ‘new era’ of China-Russia ties

Joint statement calls for two countries to collaborate on areas ranging from Southeast Asia to the Middle East and Latin America
Leaders also raise concerns over Korean peninsula, urging parties to ‘maintain calm and restraint’ and calling on US to take ‘concrete actions’

China-Russia relations

Dewey Simin Singapore

Published: 5:00pm, 22 Mar 2023

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China and Russia have pledged to work together on a wide range of issues – from Southeast Asia to the Middle East and Latin America – in a demonstration of their global interests amid rising superpower rivalry.

Following their closely watched meeting on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement that ushered in a “new era” of bilateral ties while calling for an expansion of cooperation in various fields.

That includes boosting efforts to work with multilateral frameworks involving India, Mongolia and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

“China and Russia will strengthen coordination on deepening cooperation with Asean, and continue to promote Asean centrality in the regional architecture,” the statement said.

As the United States and Western nations increasingly isolate Russia and China, Beijing has in recent years sought closer ties with countries in Asia.

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According to the joint statement released early on Wednesday, China and Russia will promote the development of the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, a flagship policy unveiled by Xi a decade ago to boost trade and connectivity.

The two leaders also aired concerns over the increasingly tense situation on the Korean peninsula. Last week, North Korea fired a series of ballistic missiles as South Korea and the US staged major military drills.

China and Russia urged the parties to “maintain calm and restraint”, calling on the US to take “concrete actions” to respond to North Korea’s concerns and to facilitate the resumption of dialogue.

“The two sides have always insisted on maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, including the realisation of denuclearisation on the peninsula, and jointly advocated the establishment of a peace and security mechanism on the peninsula,” the statement said.

“They believe that sanctions and pressure are neither desirable nor feasible, and that dialogue and consultation are the only way to resolve the peninsula issue.”

The statement urged parties to respond to China and Russia’s efforts to promote peace talks and play a constructive role.

This came on the back of a China-brokered deal earlier this month to restore diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, a development that both Xi and Putin welcomed. The joint statement said they supported Saudi Arabia and Iran normalising their ties through dialogue.

Observers have suggested that the deal reflected Beijing’s growing influence in the Middle East and also sought to present China as a global peacemaker.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Moscow on a three-day visit. Photo: EPA-EFE

Xi is the first leader of a major power to visit Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine, and reports have suggested the Chinese leader will hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the trip.

In the joint statement, Xi and Putin said they supported the sovereignty and independence of Syria and Libya, and that both China and Russia would work together to build a security framework for the Gulf region.

They also called for peace and stability in the Middle East, saying that issues should be resolved through dialogue while opposing “interference in the internal affairs of other countries in the region”.

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An expansion of cooperation in Africa was touched on, with both countries seeking to maintain a “sound and healthy” climate for international cooperation.

China and Russia would also attach greater importance to developing ties with Latin American and Caribbean countries, the statement said.

Xi and Putin described China-Russia ties as “mature, stable, independent and tenacious”, and “not affected by external influences”.

“Russia needs a prosperous and stable China, and China needs a strong and successful Russia,” they said in the statement.