[1/6] Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang attend a signing ceremony in Beijing, China, May 24, 2023. Portal/Thomas Peter/Pool
BEIJING, May 23 (Portal) – Russia and China will sign a series of bilateral agreements on Wednesday during the Russian Prime Minister’s trip to Beijing. The two giant neighbors are promising closer cooperation, even if the West remains critical of their relations amid the war in Ukraine.
According to the Russian government, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin — the top Russian official to visit Beijing since Moscow deployed thousands of its troops to Ukraine in February 2022 — held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang.
“As a result of the talks, the signing of a number of bilateral agreements is planned,” reported the Russian news agency Interfax, without going into detail.
The visit comes after Russia and China reacted furiously to statements by the Group of Seven over the weekend that singled them out on a range of issues including Ukraine, nuclear weapons and economic coercion.
Xi visited Russia in March and held talks with “dear friend” President Vladimir Putin after pledged to a “borderless” partnership shortly before Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”. .
Beijing has dismissed Western attempts to link its partnership with Moscow to Ukraine, insisting their relationship does not violate international norms, China has the right with whom it chooses to work and that their cooperation is not aimed at third countries.
As a sign of his support, the Chinese premier on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the Sino-Russian economic forum in Shanghai attended by Mishustin and a large group of Russian magnates, saying China is ready to expand bilateral economic and trade exchanges.
According to China Customs, China’s exports to Russia registered sustained momentum in April, rising 153.1% year on year after more than doubling in March.
Russia’s energy supplies to China are expected to increase by 40% this year, and the two countries are discussing supplying technological equipment to Russia, Interfax news agency reported.
Deepening ties with China is a strategic course for Moscow, said Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, who held talks on Monday with Chen Wenqing, a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo responsible for police, legal affairs and intelligence.
Mishustin’s visit comes at a time when Ukraine is preparing a counter-offensive to retake areas held by Russian forces.
Beijing has refrained from openly denouncing the invasion of Russia. But since February, Xi has been propagating a 12-point peace plan that has met with skepticism in the West and has been cautiously welcomed in Kiev.
Last week, China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui visited Ukraine and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That began a trip to Europe that Beijing described as its attempt to promote peace talks and a political solution to the crisis.
Li Hui is scheduled to visit Russia on Friday, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.
Reporting by Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly and Ethan Wang; Edited by Michael Perry
Our standards: The Thomson Portal Trust Principles.