Xi and Putin criticise US, vow to strengthen ties
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The news: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have condemned what they view as aggressive US behaviour and vowed to deepen their partnership.
The numbers: Russia has depended heavily on China since it invaded Ukraine in 2022, as western nations ramped up sanctions to cut the country off from trade and financial markets. In 2023, Moscow’s trade with China hit a record USD240 billion ($360 billion).
The context: Putin’s two-day state visit to Beijing marks his first overseas trip since he commenced his fifth term in office, signalling Russia’s intention to prioritise its relationship with China going forward. The two leaders signed a joint statement following their initial meeting on Thursday, and Xi said that both countries will continue to uphold a position of non-alliance and non-confrontation.
The two countries have been closely united since February 2022, when just days before invading Ukraine, Putin visited Beijing and declared that the nations share a “no limits” partnership. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken visited Beijing last month in efforts to raise concerns about China’s support for the Russian military and warn that the US will continue sanctioning Chinese companies that supply Russia’s defence sector.
The joint statement raised concerns about the US’ efforts to violate the strategic nuclear balance, the US’ use of missile defences around the globe and the US’ plan for high precision non-nuclear weapons. "Together we are defending the principles of justice and a democratic world order reflecting multipolar realities and based on international law," Putin told Xi.
Commenting directly on increased trade sanctions imposed by the US, Putin said: “It has already been pointed out that over the past five years, Russia-China trade has been growing at a fast pace, despite the consequences of the pandemic and certain actions by third countries aimed at containing our development.”
The sources: Reuters, Kremlin press release on Russia-China talks
