Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his anticipation ahead of the meeting by defining China as a good friend ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia on the 20th and 22nd and hold talks with President Putin.
According to the Guardian on the 20th (local time), President Putin wrote a contribution to China’s People’s Daily on the 19th, saying, “President Xi Jinping is a good old friend.” announced.
“I am grateful for China’s balanced course of understanding the background and true causes of what is happening in Ukraine,” he said. “I welcome China’s willingness to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis.” In addition, he emphasized the strong solidarity between the two countries, saying that “Russia-China relations are at a historical high point.”
The Guardian predicts that this is Russia’s intention to emphasize China as an ally in the international community by showing off strong ties with China.
He added that China-Russia relations are at a “high point” in history.
Meanwhile, President Xi published an article urging “pragmatism” for Ukraine in the Russian government’s daily “Rosiskaya Gazeta” on the same day.
“The 12 measures to mediate the crisis in Ukraine announced last month were largely rejected by the West,” Xi said, criticizing it as an attempt to unify the world community under one Western-centered perspective.
He explained that the visit was intended to “strengthen bilateral friendship, strengthen comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction in a world threatened by hegemony, despotism and intentional isolation”.
President Xi insisted that “the form of government is not uniform,” and that “there is no world order that is swayed by the words of one country.”
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “President Putin and President Xi Jinping will hold a luncheon after meeting alone on the 20th.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.