The Chinese president greeted his Russian counterpart at the Great Hall of the People, kicking off two days of discussions covering the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and cooperation on economics and defense.
“This partnership is without a doubt exemplary for how the relationship between neighboring states should be,” Putin said. “Our cooperation in global affairs today is one of the main stabilizing factors in the global arena,” he added, while ignoring his own role in ordering a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
China is ready to work with Russia to “uphold fairness and justice in the world,” Xi said. “The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it.”
Accompanying Putin on the trip are high-ranking officials including new Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, now serving as secretary of the security council.
Talks are expected to focus on the growing defense cooperation between Russia and China. With Western sanctions hitting Russia’s economy, analysts anticipate discussions on how to navigate these sanctions during the meetings.
Both countries were “deepening peaceful nuclear cooperation,” Putin said, without giving further information.
Referring to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine, Putin expressed gratitude toward Xi and China for “those initiatives it was putting forward to regulate this problem.”
He added that the two had agreed to discuss foreign policy and the “Ukrainian crisis” at an informal meeting on Thursday evening.
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