Chinese President Xi Jinping has said he has signed an agreement with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that will see their ties enter a “new era” of cooperation as the two leaders called for “responsible dialogue” to resolve Ukraine’s crisis. unload.
“We signed a declaration on deepening strategic partnership and bilateral ties entering a new era,” Xi said after talks with Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday.
He added that China and Russia should work more closely together to promote more “practical cooperation”.
Putin, for his part, said that “all agreements have been reached” and that economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing was a “priority” for Russia.
The Chinese leader visited Moscow days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin for crimes committed in the neighboring country, where Russian forces have made little progress in recent months despite heavy casualties.
The talks aimed to strengthen the borderless partnership the two leaders announced last February, less than three weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine.
On the conflict, the Chinese leader said Beijing was “guided by the principles of the United Nations…and promotes a peaceful settlement” of fighting in Ukraine.
“We are always for peace and dialogue,” he added.
A joint statement
A joint statement contained familiar allegations against the West – that Washington was undermining global stability and that NATO was invading the Asia-Pacific region.
Putin said a Chinese proposal to end the conflict could be used as a basis for a peace settlement, but that the West and Kiev are not yet ready.
“We believe that many of the provisions of the peace plan proposed by China are in line with the Russian approach and can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when they are ready in the West and Kiev. But so far we do not see such willingness on their part,” Putin said.
China’s proposal — a 12-point document calling for de-escalation and eventual ceasefire in Ukraine — lacked details on how to end the war.
The United States has rejected the plan, given Beijing’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying a ceasefire would gain Russian territory and give Putin’s army more time to regroup.
In response to the meeting, the White House said China’s position was not impartial and urged Beijing to pressure Russia to withdraw from Ukraine’s sovereign territory to end the war.
After meeting Xi, Putin accused Western powers of fighting “to the last Ukrainian” and praised growing trade, energy and political ties between China and Russia.
Xi described his talks with Putin as “open and friendly”, reiterated China’s “neutral stance” on Ukraine and called for dialogue.
Kiev welcomed China’s diplomatic involvement, but said Russia should withdraw its troops from Ukraine and underline the importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Kiev had suggested China join Beijing in a Ukrainian peace formula to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, but it was still waiting for a response.
gas, internet
The deal also boosted the planned Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, which would deliver 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually from Russia to China via Mongolia.
Putin said Moscow was ready to increase oil exports to Beijing after Russia, China and Mongolia all agreed on a planned pipeline to ship Russian gas.
The pipeline has gained urgency as Moscow seeks to replace Europe as its main gas customer.
Russia’s TASS news agency reported that the two leaders also discussed the Internet, agreeing that they “oppose militarization of information and communication technologies and support multilateral, equal and transparent governance of the Internet.”
“(They) support the establishment of a multilateral, equal and transparent global management system of the Internet with the support of the sovereignty and security of all countries in this area,” TASS quoted the agreement.
‘Unlimited possibilities’
At a state dinner after the talks, Putin toasted the “prosperity” of the Russian and Chinese people.
“I am sure that the Russian-Chinese cooperation has really unlimited possibilities and prospects,” he said.
Xi’s state visit was a big boost for Putin as he takes on what he sees as a hostile West bent on inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia.
Samuel Ramani, the associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told Al Jazeera that while Tuesday’s agreement was not an alliance, it was “very clear that China and Russia are coordinating on different fronts.”
The meeting between Xi and Putin coincided with a rare, unannounced visit to Kiev by the Japanese prime minister, underlining Tokyo’s support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Zelenskyy posted footage of him greeting Japan’s Fumio Kishida, who called the Ukrainian leader “a truly powerful defender of international order and an old friend of Ukraine.”