Xi Jinping has arrived in Russia on his state visit, Chinese television reported on Monday. A few hours ago, the Chinese leader and Vladimir Putin praised the strength of their bilateral partnership, this summit seems especially important for the Russian president, isolated internationally due to the invasion of Ukraine.
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The Chinese president is sure that his visit to Russia will give “new impulserelations with Moscow after getting off his plane on the tarmac of the Russian capital’s airport. “I am sure that this visit will be effective and will give a new boost to the healthy and stable development of Chinese-Russian relations.The Chinese leader said, quoted by Russian news agencies, calling Beijing and Moscow.good neighbors“and”reliable partners“. According to him, it is Chinaready to stand firm with Russia“for”true versatility” and a “multipolarity in the world“.
The three-day state visit to Russia, a country with which China has strong diplomatic and economic ties, is the first by a Chinese leader to its neighbor in nearly four years.
Kiev and London rely on Xi Jinping to use his influence on Vladimir Putin
Kiev hopes that Chinese President Xi Jinping will use his “effectAbout Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscowthat’s itto the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the spokesperson of Ukrainian diplomacy said on Monday. “Ukraine is closely following the visit of the Chinese president to Russia. We expect Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to end its war of aggression against UkraineSpokesman Oleg Nikolenko announced this shortly after Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow. Ukraine insistswithdrawalChinese President Xi Jinping’s peace plan, which does not mention that condition, said a senior Ukrainian official. “The formula for implementation success “peace plan» Chinese. The first and main provision is the surrender or withdrawal of the Russian occupation forces from the territory of UkraineSecretary of the Security Council of Ukraine Alexi Danilov tweeted. Kiev is watching Xi Jinping’s arrival in Moscow with some trepidation, especially as it fears that Russia’s strategic ally Beijing may eventually decide to supply Russia with weapons and thus influence the outcome of the war.
The United Kingdom also said along these lines:to hopethat the Chinese president will call on Vladimir Putin to end the war and “atrocitiesin Ukraine, during a visit to Moscow. “We hope that President Xi will take this opportunity to call on President Putin to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals and schools and end the atrocities we witness every day.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said after Xi Jinping’s arrival in Moscow.
Call for peace talks
In an article published in a Russian newspaper “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”.Xi Jinping introduced his arrival as “a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace“, in the face of Westerners who are suspicious of Sino-Russian relations. “I look forward to working with President Putin to adopt a new vision togetherBilateral ties, in particular Xi Jinping writes. With the power to facilitate the recent diplomatic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, China has positioned itself as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war and has specifically called for peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.
In an article published in a Chinese newspaper on Monday, Vladimir Putin welcomes “China’s willingness to play a constructive role in settlementabout the conflict and believes that “Russian-Chinese relations have reached the highest point in their history“. Xi Jinping’s visit to the country came a few days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced the issuance of an arrest warrant for the Russian president, who is accused of war crimes.illegal deportationUkrainian children.
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Xi Jinping arrives at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport on March 20, 2023. ANATOLY ZHDANOV / AFP
The former president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently the vice-chairman of the National Security Council, announced that the Hague court could be the target of a Russian missile attack. “One can very well imagine the high-precision strike of the Russian “Onyx” hypersonic missile from a Russian ship in the North Sea against the Hague court building.He wrote in Telegram inviting the judges of the ICC.look carefully at the sky“. Formerly a fairly liberal figure within the Russian regime, Dmitry Medvedev has become one of the staunchest advocates of an attack on Ukraine, multiplying his scathing statements against Kiev and its Western allies.
Clean air to Putin
In turn, the Chinese president’s arrival is also a breath of fresh air for Vladimir Putin, who has been diplomatically isolated and who, in a show of defiance, went to Mariupol, a Ukrainian city devastated by bombings, this weekend. It was the first visit of the Russian president to the occupied zone since the beginning of the offensive launched by the Kremlin in late February 2022.
Xi Jinping, who has just begun his third presidential term, which is unprecedented in China, regularly refers to Vladimir Putin as his “old friend“. United by partnershipwithout borders“Last year marked three weeks before the start of the intervention in Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow have come closer in recent years, particularly to form a common front against the West.
China’s extremely “lukewarm” position
China has not publicly condemned the Russian incursion and has criticized the United States for supplying weapons to Ukraine and NATO in disregard of Russia’s security concerns. However, Beijing calls for dialogue and respect for the territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine. “No country should dictate the international orderwrote Xi Jinping in an article published in a Russian newspaper. “China has always maintained an objective and impartial stance based on the essence of the issue and has actively promoted peace negotiations.»
A stance that was seen as too lukewarm by several Western countries, for which China thus tacitly supports Russian aggression. They also believe that Beijing’s main appeals for peace cannot be immediately translated into concrete action.
The US has already indicated that it will not support a new Chinese call for a ceasefire during Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, believing that it would mean strengthening Russian control over the conquered territories in Ukraine. Many analysts also doubt Xi’s ability to truly promote Russian-Ukrainian rapprochement, given the ties between Moscow and Beijing and his relative lack of influence over the Kremlin.
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Accompanying the Chinese delegation to Moscow, March 20, 2023. REUTERS Photographer / REUTERS
The presidents of China and Russia will have their first face-to-face meeting.informalBefore the dinner on Monday, and then the discussions on Tuesday, the Kremlin’s diplomatic adviser Yuri Uchakov noted, as quoted by the Russian press agency. They will sign in particularjoint declaration (…) on comprehensive partnership entering a new era and deepening of strategic relations;as well as a document on bilateral economic cooperation until 2030, he said.
According to an American newspaper The Wall Street JournalXi Jinping, for the sake of his country’s neutrality, may also meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky upon his return to China.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.