image source,Getty Images
Xi Jinping (left) and Kazakh President Tokayev
On the eve of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will visit Central Asia from September 14 to 16 and attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This is Xi Jinping’s first overseas visit in nearly three years since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in 2020, and the Chinese and international media have paid great attention to this visit.
Chinese media focused on Xi Jinping’s signed articles published in the media of the two countries he visited, which emphasized economic cooperation with Central Asia. International media focused on Xi Jinping’s meeting with Putin to discuss the direction of China-Russia relations under the current international situation.
The following is a summary of the recent reports and comments from various parties in BBC Chinese.
image source,Reuters
Xi Jinping arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where the SCO summit was held on the evening of September 14. Xi Jinping wears a mask during a meeting with President Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.
economic Cooperation
Before the visit, Xi Jinping published signed articles in the media of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
In an article published in the Kazakh media, Xi Jinping said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan. Over the past 30 years, China-Kazakhstan relations have achieved continuous advancement from good-neighborly friendship to strategic partnership, and then to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.
image source,EPA
As the war in Ukraine is in full swing, Xi may meet Putin in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Xi Jinping said that China has been Kazakhstan’s most important trading partner and investment partner for the past 30 years. The two countries have successfully built an all-round and three-dimensional connectivity network covering roads, railways, aviation and oil and gas pipelines. In the future, they will continue to build high-quality, high-quality project.
In an article published by Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan, he said that China is Uzbekistan’s largest trading partner and a major source of investment. The two sides have achieved fruitful results in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, and the two sides have also actively carried out new energy, agriculture, finance, modern communications, etc. field cooperation.
China’s state media CCTV News quoted people from Russia, Iran and other countries as saying that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has shown strong vitality, and China is playing an important and constructive role in it. People from all walks of life in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan look forward to President Xi Jinping’s visit to further deepen bilateral practical cooperation.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun believes that Xi Jinping’s visit to Kazakhstan is of symbolic significance. This is where Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road project in 2013, early in his tenure. The purpose of his visit appeared to be to send a “business as usual” signal after the outbreak was disrupted, including to help consolidate Beijing’s influence in the region.
image source,Reuters
As the SCO heads of state gather in Central Asia, Ukraine is fighting back with all its might to retake the occupied territories. The picture shows the equipment left by the roadside when the Russian troops quickly retreated from the Kharkov front.
The report quoted Maximilian Hess, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute, a U.S. think-tank, as saying that the visit “will provide an opportunity for Xi to show that China’s foreign policy is not affected by the new crown virus, and to show that Beijing is now a major player in Central Asia. By”.
“Against America”
International media paid more attention to Xi Jinping’s meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Reuters reported that Xi Jinping’s visit was on the eve of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which shows that he is very confident in his third term.
Reuters also believes that the meeting will give Xi an opportunity to emphasize his influence, while Putin can demonstrate Russia’s ambitions in Asia; both leaders can show their commitment to the United States when the West seeks to punish Russia over the Ukraine war. be opposed to.
The report quoted Alexander Korolev, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of New South Wales, as saying that the visit “shows that China is not only willing to do business as usual with Russia, but even to express its support clearly and accelerate the formation of a stronger Sino-Russian alliance. “.
“The Chinese government is reluctant to distance itself from Russia, even in the face of serious reputational damage and the risk of being the target of secondary economic sanctions,” Korolev said.
The New York Times believes that this week’s summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s top leader Xi Jinping is a show of strength by the two autocratic leaders joining forces against what they see as American hegemony. It is also a time of weakness for both sides: Russia is suffering in Ukraine, and China is experiencing an economic slowdown.
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Some analysts say that China and Russia are in a sensitive period: Russia suffers losses in Ukraine, while China is experiencing an economic slowdown.
The New York Times pointed out that Moscow needs Beijing, but Beijing remains cautious.
“It wants to flex its muscles in the growing competition with the U.S. without facing a humiliating defeat for its key partner in authoritarian alliances. But giving Russia a lot of additional help, both economically and militarily, has It may violate Western sanctions and endanger the Chinese economy,” the report said.
The Voice of America believes that the meeting between Xi Jinping and Putin is regarded as a group of outcasts to keep warm.
“Once upon a time, Xi Jinping was proud to say to the world that Sino-Russian friendship has no upper limit, and Sino-Russian cooperation has no restricted area. But a Russian-Ukrainian war has brought Xi Jinping and Putin into an unexpected dilemma. Russia has suffered because of this war. The comprehensive sanctions by the West have become an outcast by the international community. China has also been criticized by the international community for refusing to condemn the aggressors, and has been isolated as never before.”
The report said, “The meeting between the two was seen by the media as a warmhearted gesture of mutual need and mutual benefit, and it also showed that Xi Jinping sees the quasi-ally relationship between Beijing and Moscow as an important part of the fight against the United States. tool.”