Chinese President Xi Jinping, currently visiting Russia, held a full-day meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading to a joint statement. Following the meeting, China emphasized the importance of maintaining the overall direction of cooperation between China and Russia, eliminating external interference, and enhancing cooperation. Russian media outlets reported that a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict was discussed during the meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping began his visit to Russia on Thursday (May 8), holding a full day of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. A high-profile Russian welcome ceremony welcomed Xi. Xi addressed Putin as an old friend and stated that in the face of unilateralist headwinds and hegemonic bullying, China and Russia must work together to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world, emphasizing that Sino-Russian friendship is an inevitable choice.
After several hours of meetings, Chinese and Russian leaders issued a joint statement on further deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era and signed over 20 cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding, covering areas such as global strategic stability, upholding the authority of international law, biosecurity, investment protection, and film cooperation. Xi Jinping, in a press conference, stated that the two countries reached many important new consensuses and emphasized the need to deepen political mutual trust and strategic coordination, comprehensively deepening practical cooperation across all sectors.
Xi Jinping said: "Faced with changes in the world, the times, and history, China and Russia must firmly grasp the direction of bilateral relations and the general trend of human development, be true friends forged over a century, comprehensively enhance the height, dimension, and resilience of China-Russia relations, and inject more stability into world peace and security."
Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi Jinping, during their meeting with Putin, emphasized the need for China and Russia to adhere to the general direction of cooperation and eliminate external interference. He also stated that China has the resolve and confidence to overcome all risks and challenges. However, there was no mention of a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, Reuters, citing Russian media, reported that Putin and Xi Jinping did discuss the conflict and agreed that resolving it hinged on addressing its root causes.
Analysis of China and Russia's Ambiguous Approach to Resolving the Russo-Ukrainian War: Suspected of Pulling Europe Closer to China
Associate Professor Zhuang Jiaying from the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore said that the statement about the Russia-Ukraine war issue in the meeting news released now was issued through the Russian News Agency and the wording was vague. It is believed that China and Russia want to take the opportunity to send a message to Europe.
Zhuang Jiaying said: "The fundamental reason (for the ceasefire) doesn't seem to be clearly stated. The fundamental reason is to imply that the United States, or at least NATO, is behind the problem. China and Russia seem to be sending a message to Europe that if Europe wants a ceasefire, it may have to go through China. If the Russo-Ukrainian war wants to ceasefire, it must cooperate with China. China may want to show that it is on the side that maintains world order and peace."
Zhuang Jiaying believes that during this meeting, both Chinese and Russian leaders mentioned deepening cooperation, seemingly seeking to counter the claim that Russia would be co-opted by the United States to counter China. He also noted that the large number of cooperation agreements signed during this meeting reflects that, in the current geopolitical landscape, both countries need each other's assistance.
China emphasizes the need to exclude external interference in Sino-Russian relations. Analysis: China aims to use the agreement to strengthen its alliance with Russia against the US.
Song Guocheng, a researcher at the Center for International Relations at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, stated that Xi Jinping's repeated references to the Sino-Russian friendship forged during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression serve to strengthen Sino-Russian relations and to bolster Russia's resolve in the war with Ukraine, hinting that China will continue to provide support behind the scenes. As for Xi Jinping's specific mention of a desire to keep Sino-Russian relations free of external interference, he believes this is clearly a direct attack on the United States.
Song Guocheng said, "What are external factors? I can bluntly say it's the Trump factor. Trump's unpredictable strategy of reshuffling international politics is likely to lead him to woo Putin and work together to isolate, contain, and even contain China. This is what Xi Jinping worries about most. He wants to further enhance and consolidate the strategic cooperative relationship between China and Russia. This joint statement between China and Russia has the effect of an upgraded version of the so-called alliance with Russia to resist the United States, jointly resisting the United States."
Song Guocheng criticized that Xi Jinping has repeatedly mentioned the achievements of the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, trying to imply that the Communist Party of China was the hero of the success of the war. This is a practice of distorting history and lying to the world. The international community must recognize the facts and should not believe the lies of the Communist Party of China.
