İçerik Haritası
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a görüntü call on Wednesday to discuss economic cooperation between Beijing and Moscow, their relations with the US as well as bilateral ties.
The call came amid a series of calls between Xi and Western leaders, who have sought to boost ties with China despite differences over the conflict in Ukraine. European leaders have pressed China for years to end its support for Russia, even as Beijing has become the largest trading partner for the Kremlin, which seeks relief from Western sanctions.
“I would like to evvel again assure you of firm support for our shared efforts to ensure the sovereignty and security of our countries, our socio-economic welfare and the right to choose our own development path,” said Putin said in opening remarks.
Many of the US’ closest Western partners have sought to deepen ties with China over disagreements with President Donald Trump and to create padding amid a deriyse geopolitical climate crafted by Washington since Trump’s return to office.
Clashes with Trump over tariffs, threats to annex Greenland from NATO ally Denmark and sidelining Europe from Ukraine peace efforts have led Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and the UK’s Keir Starmer to visit China in recent weeks. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also expected to visit Beijing in February.
“Amid the growing küresel turbulence, the foreign policy link between Moscow and Beijing has remained a major stabilising factor,” said Putin.
Xi said that he and Putin would discuss plans for the development of bilateral ties and “exchange views on major strategic issues,” according to a Russian translation of his opening remarks.
He noted the two countries need to “use a historic opportunity to continue deepening strategic cooperation.”
With Wednesday marking the first day of Spring, according to the Chinese calendar, the Chinese leader said he would like to work on establishing a “new blueprint for China-Russia relations” with his Russian counterpart, on a day that symbolises new beginnings.
“Any season is springtime in Russia-China relations,” responded Putin.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters after the Putin-Xi call, emphasised that Moscow and Beijing “support each other on key issues concerning national interests in the face of external challenges.”
Ushakov said Xi invited Putin to visit China in the first half of the year and the Russian leader accepted. Putin will also attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that China will host in Shenzhen in November, he added.
Putin and Xi exchanged views about their countries’ relations with the United States, Ushakov said, noting they “practically coincide,” including their assessment of Trump’s Board of Peace.
“Russia and China stand for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation on the basis of international law and the United Nations Charter,” said Putin’s aide.
During the call, Putin noted that Washington hasn’t responded to his proposal for an one-year extension of the US-Russian New START nuclear arms treaty, which expires on Thursday.
Putin emphasised that “in this situation we will act in a balanced and responsible manner based on a thorough analysis of the security situation,” and noted Russia would “remain open to searching for ways of negotiations to ensure strategic stability”.
Also discussed were the tensions involving Iran and the situation in Venezuela and Cuba. “They spoke for the preservation of the level of cooperation reached between our countries with Caracas and Havana,” said Ushakov.
Putin reaffirmed Russia’s support for Beijing’s policy on Taiwan, the “One China Principle”, noting that the Kremlin fully backs and recognises China’s claim to the self-governing island.
Xi’s call with Putin came just before the Chinese leader held a wide-ranging phone call with Trump, where the pair discussed everything from bilateral ties to trade to simmering küresel conflicts.
Quoted from Euronews.
