Leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin framed their nations\u2019 ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world as they met Thursday in Beijing, where the Russian president is seeking greater Chinese support for his war effort in Ukraine and isolated economy. It is Putin\u2019s first trip abroad since his March re-election and the second in just over six months to China, an economic lifeline for Russia after the West hit it with unprecedented sanctions over its military offensive in Ukraine. Putin was greeted by Xi at a grand welcoming ceremony outside Beijing\u2019s Great Hall of the People, footage by state broadcaster CCTV showed. In a meeting, Xi then told his \u201cold friend\u201d Putin that China-Russia relations were \u201cconducive to peace\u201d. \u201cChina is ready to work with Russia to\u2026 uphold fairness and justice in the world,\u201d Xi added. Putin, in turn, told Xi the two countries\u2019 relations were \u201cstabilising factors in the international arena\u201d. \u201cRelations between Russia and China are not opportunistic and not directed against anyone,\u201d Putin said, according to a Kremlin readout. \u201cTogether, we uphold the principles of justice and a democratic world order that reflects multipolar realities and is based on international law,\u201d he added. Following closed-door meetings, the two leaders then signed a joint statement on deepening their countries\u2019 \u201ccomprehensive strategic partnership\u201d, state news agency Xinhua said. \u2018Political solution\u2019 The Russian leader\u2019s arrival came hours after he hailed his country\u2019s troops for advancing on \u201call fronts\u201d on the battlefield in Ukraine, following a major new ground assault. Xi has rebuffed Western criticism of his country\u2019s close ties with Moscow, enjoying cheap Russian energy imports and access to vast natural resources. But their economic partnership has come under close scrutiny from the West in recent months. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China\u2019s support for Russia\u2019s \u201cbrutal war of aggression\u201d in Ukraine had helped Russia ramp up production of rockets, drones and tanks \u2014 while stopping short of direct arms exports. China claims to be a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, which it has never condemned and in which it has sought to frame itself as a mediator. And in a statement to media following talks with Putin, Xi said the two sides agree on the need for a \u201cpolitical solution\u201d to resolving the war. \u201cChina\u2019s position on this issue has always been clear,\u201d Xi said in footage broadcast by Russian TV. That position included \u201crespecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries\u201d as well as \u201crespecting the reasonable security concerns of all sides\u201d, the Chinese leader added. The remarks echo a paper issued by Beijing last year, which Western countries said could enable Russia to hold much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine. China also \u201clooks forward to the early restoration of peace and stability on the European continent\u201d, Xi said, promising Beijing would \u201ccontinue to play a constructive role to that end\u201d. Putin in response said he was \u201cgrateful\u201d to Beijing for its efforts to help resolve the conflict. He also made reference to Beijing\u2019s complaints about growing security cooperation between the US and its allies in Asia, warning of \u201charmful\u201d military alliances in the region. Transactions slow China-Russia trade has boomed since the Ukraine invasion and hit $240 billion in 2023, according to Chinese customs figures. But after Washington vowed to go after financial institutions that facilitate Moscow, Chinese exports to Russia dipped during March and April, down from a surge early in the year. An executive order by President Joe Biden in December permits secondary sanctions on foreign banks that deal with Russia\u2019s war machine, allowing the US Treasury to cut them out of the dollar-led global financial system. That, coupled with recent efforts to rebuild fractured ties with the United States, may make Beijing reluctant to openly push more cooperation with Russia \u2014 despite what Moscow may want, analysts say. Putin\u2019s post-election trip to Beijing echoes Xi\u2019s own visit to Russia after his re-anointing as leader last year. He is also set to meet Premier Li Qiang \u2014 China\u2019s number two official \u2014 and travel to the northeastern city of Harbin for a trade and investment expo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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