Xi tells Putin a ‘grand plan’ is needed to develop ties between China and Russia
During a video call on Wednesday, Putin also says the Kremlin will handle issue of expiring nuclear pact with US in a responsible manner
The video call was the first meeting between Xi and Putin this year as both sides seek to ramp up strategic alignment amid rising global geopolitical tensions.
Beijing on Tuesday urged Washington to “respond positively” to Russia’s offer to maintain nuclear warhead limits. It again refused to join trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations with Washington and Moscow, citing the disparity in nuclear stockpile sizes as the reason.
Putin said in the call – which lasted one hour and 25 minutes – that the Kremlin would handle the issue of the nuclear pact in a measured and responsible manner, foreign media cited Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as saying.
Xi said in the Wednesday meeting that the international situation had “grown increasingly turbulent” since the start of the year, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.