HONG KONG — As tensions with the United States continue to rise and the war in Ukraine enters its second year, Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Russia early next week to meet with President Vladimir Putin. The trip will highlight the growing closeness between the two countries.
According to a statement released on Friday by China’s Foreign Ministry, Putin has invited Xi to make a state visit to Moscow on Monday and Wednesday. China is attempting to position itself as a mediator in the conflict despite skepticism from the United States and its allies. This is his first trip to Russia since the invasion.
The Kremlin also confirmed the visit, stating that the talks would focus on the “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between the two nations. It said in a statement that several “important bilateral documents” would also be signed.
Reports that Xi would have a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy after his trip to Russia were not confirmed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Chinese leader hasn’t talked to Zelenskyy since before the war started in February.
In response to a question regarding the reports, spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated, “We are in communication with all parties,” at a regular briefing.
The United States’ relationship with both China and Russia has been steadily deteriorating as a result of Xi’s visit to Moscow.
The U.S. military released a newly declassified video on Thursday that, according to the video, shows a Russian fighter jet harassing and colliding with an American drone over the Black Sea. American officials told NBC News that the Kremlin leadership approved of the aggression.
territory, the White House’s demands that TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their stakes in the popular app, and questions about the origins of Covid-19 have all contributed to escalating tensions with China over Taiwan.
Xi’s remarks last week, in which he accused the United States of leading a campaign of “containment, encirclement, and suppression” against China that had resulted in “severe challenges,” reflected the chill in diplomatic relations.
Beijing has been trying to compete with Washington as a global mediator, a diplomatic effort that got a lot of attention last week when it helped Iran and Saudi Arabia reach an agreement to normalize relations.
China has attempted to appear neutral in the conflict, declaring a “no limits” partnership with Russia weeks prior to the invasion. While calling for negotiations and taking care not to break international sanctions, it has avoided condemning Russia’s aggression or even referring to it as an invasion.
The West quickly dismissed Beijing’s 12-point peace proposal as being too favorable to Moscow, despite receiving a muted response in Ukraine and Russia.
Xi’s trip to Russia, according to Wang, was “for peace.”
He stated, “We have always believed that the only way out of the conflict is political dialogue.”
China may be considering sending artillery and ammunition to Russia for use in the conflict, which would represent a significant shift in China’s strategy, the United States has also warned. Beijing denies the charges, with Wang saying on Friday that China had consistently taken a “judicious and dependable mentality” toward military commodities.
He said, referring to the supply of weapons to Ukraine by the United States and others, “China’s position and approach have been consistent, in sharp contrast to the double standards
In an uncommon approach Thursday with his Ukrainian partner, China’s new unfamiliar priest, Qin Posse, said Beijing was worried that the contention could raise wild and that it expected a political arrangement.
Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, shared on Twitter that he and Qin had “discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity” after speaking with Blinken earlier on Thursday. He claimed that he also emphasized the significance of Zelenskyy’s individual peace plan.
On the sidelines of a regional summit, Xi and Putin previously met in Uzbekistan in September of last year. Putin welcomed Xi to make a state visit during a videoconference in December, and China’s top representative, Wang Yi, laid further preparation for the excursion when he was in Moscow last month.
According to Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, a consulting firm based in New York, China-Russia relations appear to be returning to their prewar status despite the war in Ukraine. Xi’s trip “is probably going to cement that,” Bremmer stated.
