Relations with Russia will remain a priority for China’s head of state Xi Jinping. Chinese Premier Li Qiang “will continue to prioritize the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership,” Xi said at a meeting with Russian Premier Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday, the second day of his state visit, according to Russian news agencies. He called Russia and China “neighboring great powers”.
Invitation to visit China
Earlier, Russian news agency RIA reported that Xi had invited Putin to visit China later this year. The Chinese leader confirmed, “Yesterday I invited President Putin to visit China this year at a convenient time for him,” Xi said on Tuesday. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on Friday at Khan’s request for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. This is valid for life. This is therefore not an obstacle for the Chinese head of state. However, the Hungarian government has blocked the joint declaration of the EU member states on the international arrest warrant, Hungarian media reported, quoting the Bloomberg news agency.
Putin “weak”
According to the head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, Xi wants to keep Russia in the camp of authoritarian states with his visit to Moscow. “He wants a weak Putin. He wants to support him so that he remains firm in the Chinese camp,” said the former German diplomat at the ZDF. That’s why Xi won’t ask Russia to withdraw troops from Ukraine, but neither will he supply it with weapons – if only to avoid being targeted by Western sanctions. “Xi will never allow Putin to use nuclear weapons,” he adds. “It’s very clear who is the cook and who is the waiter.”
Zelenskyy: Phone call with Xi?
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is awaiting Chinese approval for a phone call with Xi Jinping. “I don’t know, we are waiting for confirmation,” said Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk when asked when the call was due to take place. The call is important, she told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. “Both have something to say to each other.”
Prime Minister of Japan in Kyiv
At the same time as Xi’s visit to Moscow, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kiev for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. Kishida had already pledged more support for Ukraine during a visit by Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Japan. The third largest economic power in the world, Japan, currently chairs the G7, the club of the most important western industrialized countries. Kishida “will express his respect for the courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people who are defending their motherland,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. After the visit to Ukraine, Kishida also wants to hold political talks in EU country Poland. (whoops, Portal)