the chinese president, Xi Jinpingarrived on Monday at Moscow to strengthen its alliance with Vladimir Putin on a trip that he classifies as a “peace visit”, after Beijing recently presented an initiative to settle the conflict between Russians and Ukrainians.
The arrival in the Russian capital occurred around 1:00 p.m. (local time, 10 GMT). The leader of the Chinese regime will remain in the country until Wednesday.
Stepping off the plane, received with honors, Xi said he is confident that his visit will give a “new impulse” to the “healthy and stable” relations between China and Russia, which he described as “good neighbors and reliable partners”.
Later, shortly before 5:00 p.m., both leaders posed for the cameras in the Kremlin before beginning their meeting.
In the brief meeting with the press, Putin told his counterpart that he was willing to discuss Beijing peace proposal on Ukraine. “We are always open to negotiations. We will certainly discuss all these issues, including your initiatives, which we treat with respect, of course,” he maintained.
“We have many common tasks and goals”, Putin told Xi, adding that it was “symbolic” that the Chinese leader chose to travel to Russia for the first foreign visit of his new term.
Xi and Putin in the Kremlin (Sputnik/Reuters)
The two leaders, sitting next to each other in the Kremlin, according to the images broadcast by Russian public television, will first hold a “face-to-face” meeting and then continue their meeting with dinner. Initially it was going to be a lunch and then a press conference was scheduled.
The head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, presented the peace initiative a month ago in the Kremlin after doing the same with kyiv and European countries.
The Kremlin sees the visit of the Chinese leader as a boost in the midst of the increasing isolation to which the West has subjected Russia since the start of the invasion in Ukraine in February 2022.
This is the Chinese president’s first visit to Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine and his first trip to Moscow for almost four years.
invasion of ukraine
Regarding Ukraine, the Chinese authorities assured that the Asian giant seeks to play “a constructive role in promoting peace talks.”
Beyond the “pragmatic cooperation” and efforts to “jointly safeguard the stability of the industrial chain” and “inject more positive energy into the global economic recovery”, eyes will be on whether Beijing is able and willing to play a more proactive role as a mediator.
China, which insists that it has always maintained “an objective and impartial position” on the war, would seek to intercede after doing the same between Iran and Saudi Arabia so that both countries reestablish diplomatic relations.
Xi Jinping walks through the honor guard after getting off the plane in Moscow (AFP)
“Expectations that Beijing is going to play a more active role have risen after that latest mediation. But the truth is the resolution of the Ukraine conflict is beyond China’s will or ability. Depends on Russia and Ukraine”, comments academic Feng Yujun, from Fudan University, to the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post.
Xi y Zelensky
Before Xi’s trip, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitro Kuleba, in the early hours of Thursday, in which he assured that China will try to help “a cessation of hostilities, the relief of the crisis and the restoration of peace between Ukraine and Russia.”
Xi has not yet communicated with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodimir Zelensky, as the US media had announced, although kyiv is already preparing said videoconference.
Moreover, the visit comes after the CNN assured that Ukrainian soldiers have found in their territory the remains of what is apparently a drone for civilian use manufactured by a Chinese company what of POLITICAL denounced that Chinese companies, including one “connected to the Beijing government”, sent Russian entities 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment that could be used for military purposes.
China has denied on several occasions that it has sold weapons to either side, and has assured that it is the United States that has been “adding fuel to the fire” to “stir up” the conflict.
Three weeks before the war began, Xi and Putin strengthened their ties, although China assures that the close relations between Beijing and Moscow “do not threaten any country” and that, in reality, “advance the multipolarization of the world.”
Partners
Thus, the visit, according to the Chinese foreign spokespersons, will also deal with issues such as promoting “connectivity” based on the projects of the New Silk Roads and the Eurasian Economic Union.
In this sense, the Kremlin has announced that the visit will leave the signature of “a significant number” of bilateral agreements.
China was one of the countries that abstained from voting on a resolution condemning the Russian invasion in the UN Assembly, and although it has not explicitly supported Moscow, it has opposed sanctions against Russia because “it does not They solve problems.”
The Asian country recently issued a statement on what it calls the “conflict” in Ukraine in which it defends respect for the sovereignty of all countries, the abandonment of the “cold war mentality” and a ceasefire.
He also called for “moderation” to “prevent the situation from getting out of control” and leading to a nuclear conflict, a proposal criticized by the West for putting “the aggressor and the victimized” on the same level.