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Russia invaded Ukraine 1 year ago. What has happened so far?
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https://scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3214032/china-russia-relationship-important-world-says-ambassador-moscow Diplomacy
China-Russia relationship is important for the world, says ambassador to Moscow
- Zhang Hanhui was speaking to media outlets ahead of Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia next week and said trade ties would continue to grow
- Xi’s visit will be closely watched to see if he puts forwards any proposals for peace with Ukraine when he meets Vladimir Putin
Xi Jinping’s meeting with Vladimir Putin next week will be closely watched for any moves on Ukraine. Photo: Reuters
A steady China-Russia relationship is crucial at a time of global turmoil, China’s ambassador to Russia has said ahead of the visit by President Xi Jinping next week.
The visit by Xi to Moscow will be closely watched by Western powers following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year and Friday’s announcement by the International Criminal Court that it had issued a warrant for Vladimir Putin’s arrest on suspicion of war crimes.
“The more turbulent the world is, the more important it is for China-Russia relations to move forward steadily,” Chinese ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told Chinese and Russian media outlets on Friday.
This interview came just a couple of hours after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying confirmed Xi would visit Russia between March 20 and 22.
Zhang did not offer any clues about whether Xi would put forward any proposals for negotiations with Ukraine, but a commentary published by state news agency Xinhua on Friday said China would “actively promote peace talks. and play a constructive role for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis.”
The commentary said a 12-point position paper published by Beijing last month provided a feasible proposal for resolving the crisis. The European Union has already dismissed the paper as taking Russia’s side.
Without naming the United States and EU, the Xinhua commentary also said “economic sanctions and isolation were doomed to be futile”.
Zhang highlighted the closer trade and economic trade ties between the two countries over the past year, with more transactions being settled using the Chinese yuan.
He said trade and investment would continue to grow between the two sides this year. He said the trade figures for the first two months – which saw a 25.9 per cent year-on-year increase to US$33.7 billion – were a “good start”.
“It demonstrates again that the foundation of bilateral economic and trade cooperation remains solid,” he added.
In 2022, the total value of goods traded between the two countries reached a record US$190.3 billion, which Zhang said had brought Xi and Putin’s target of US$200 billion within reach.
The energy trade has become increasingly prominent, with Russia becoming a major source of China’s imports of oil, natural gas, and coal, said Zhang.
Zhang added that China has also experienced significant growth in its exports of mechanical and electrical products, as well as cars and auto parts to Russia.
Russia has been hit by extensive sanctions on its energy exports from Western countries.
On Friday, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, described the trip as a “visit of friendship, cooperation and peace.”
But he sidestepped a question about whether there would be a phone call between Xi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“China’s stance on the Ukraine crisis has always been consistent and clear, and we have maintained communication with all parties involved,” he said.