‘Dear friends’ Xi, Putin meet in Moscow

GBNEWS24DESK//

Chinese President Xi Jinping met his “dear friend” Vladimir Putin in Moscow yesterday, seeking both to deepen economic ties with an ally he sees as a useful counterweight to the West and to promote Beijing’s role as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine.

Xi was the first leader to meet the Russian president since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia during its year-old invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow said the charge was one of several “clearly hostile displays” and opened a criminal case against the ICC prosecutor and judges. Beijing said the warrant reflected double standards.

Russia is presenting Xi’s trip, his first since securing an unprecedented third term this month, as evidence that it has a powerful friend in its standoff with a hostile West.

The two men greeted one another as “dear friend” when they met in the Kremlin yesterday afternoon before a dinner, to be followed by formal talks today.

Putin told Xi he viewed China’s proposals for a resolution of the Ukraine conflict with respect and was also “slightly envious” of China’s rapid development in recent decades.

“China has created a very effective system for developing the economy and strengthening the state. It is much more effective than in many other countries,” he said.

“We are always open to negotiations,” Putin told Xi. “We will certainly discuss all these issues, including your initiatives which we treat with respect, of course,” he added.

For Xi, the visit is a diplomatic tightrope.

China has released a broad 12-point proposal to solve the Ukraine crisis, while strengthening relations with Moscow.

Beijing has repeatedly dismissed Western accusations that it is planning to arm Russia but says it wants a closer energy partnership after boosting imports of Russian coal, gas and oil.

“Both sides are continuously strengthening political mutual trust, creating a new paradigm of relations between major powers,” Xi wrote in an article published in Russia ahead of his trip.

Western sanctions made Russian energy cheaper, saving China billions of dollars, but its top trade partners remain the United States and European Union.

Ukraine said China should press Russia to stop its invasion.