Xi Jinping showed the “priority” he attaches to “strategic” relations between Moscow and Beijing, two “great powers”, in Russia on Tuesday, signaling his support for Vladimir Putin in the face of westerners amid the conflict in Ukraine.
On the second day of his state visit to Russia, Mr. Xi said his move followed “historical logic” because “we are the largest neighboring powers and strategic partners at all levels.”
The Chinese president also said in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mikhoustin that Beijing “will continue to prioritize the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia,” Russian news outlets commented.
Mr Xi, who is scheduled to meet Mr Putin on Tuesday after an initial meeting on Monday, also said that despite the sentencing mandate, he had invited the Russian president to visit him in China “if he can this year”. last week by the International Criminal Court against the Kremlin master.
Coincidence of the calendar? As Mr Xi shows his support for Moscow amid tensions with Western countries, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to pay a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday.
Mr. Kishida will express to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “his respect for the courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people who are defending their homeland under his command, as well as the solidarity and tireless support of Japan and the G7 for Ukraine,” the Japanese diplomat said.
Fumio Kishida was the only member of the group not to be in Kiev since the start of the Russian offensive against Ukraine in February 2022.
Tokyo joined Western sanctions on Russia and announced a new $5.5 billion (€5.1 billion) aid to Ukraine in February.
“Dear friend”
It is precisely the conflict in Ukraine that will be at the center of talks that began around 12:00 GMT Tuesday between MM. Xi and Putin, after an “informal” interview on Monday in which they agreed and, for example, “prefer each other friend” gave.
During that first meeting, which lasted more than four hours, Mr Putin said he was ready to discuss an initiative by Beijing aimed at ending this conflict.
The Russian president heaped praise on his powerful Chinese host, particularly praising his “fair and balanced stance on international issues.”
But when China acts as a mediator in Ukraine, the West judges that Beijing is too supportive of Moscow to be credible. Washington even accuses the Chinese authorities of considering arms sales to Russia, which they deny.
Others in the West believe China could take inspiration from the Russian attack in Ukraine to take control of Taiwan.
Also on Monday, the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, reiterated that “the world must not be fooled by a tactical decision by Russia, backed by China or any other country, to end the conflict (in Ukraine) on its own terms to freeze
Mr Blinken pointed out that Mr Xi visited Russia just three days after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Mr Putin, which the US diplomat said suggests China has no need to hold “the (Russian) president accountable for the atrocities inflicted on Ukraine”.
For its part, Kiev, wary of Chinese intentions, on Monday urged Mr Xi to “use his influence over Moscow to end the aggressive war.”
gas intake
French expert Antoine Bondaz, a specialist in Chinese diplomacy interviewed by AFP, believes that Beijing is trying to promote in the Ukrainian file an “image of a stability factor (…) especially in non-Western countries” while trying to “democratic to delegitimize the regime”.
Indeed, in recent years Beijing and Moscow have posed as geopolitical counterweights to American power and its allies.
But alongside geopolitical considerations, economic issues will be at the center of talks between MM Putin and Xi on Tuesday.
Mr Xi’s visit to Russia comes at a time when the latter has massively geared its economy towards Beijing in the face of heavy Western sanctions against Beijing.
As a symbol of this growing economic integration, the Russian gas giant Gazprom announced on Tuesday that it had delivered a “record” amount of gas via the “Siberian Force” cross-border gas pipeline the previous day.
According to the Kremlin, MM Xi and Putin are scheduled to sign several documents on Tuesday, including a joint statement on deepening their economic ties by 2030.