Webdesk: On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping came in Moscow in an effort to strengthen economic ties with an ally he views as a useful counterweight to the West and to promote Beijing’s potential role as a peacemaker in Ukraine.
Xi will be the first head of state to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia described the accusation as one of several “clearly hostile displays” and filed a criminal complaint against the prosecutor and judges of the International Criminal Court. Beijing stated that the warrant demonstrated double standards.
Moscow presents Xi’s trip, his first since gaining an extraordinary third term earlier this month, as proof that it has a powerful ally in its struggle with the hostile West.
Putin stated in an article for China’s People’s Daily published on the Kremlin website. He had great hopes for the visit of his “We can feel the geopolitical landscape in the outside world undergoing drastic changes,” that “good old friend”
The visit is a diplomatic tightrope for Xi.
China has presented a comprehensive 12-point plan to resolve the Ukraine crisis and improve relations with Russia.
China has often denied Western charges that it intends to arm Russia. After increasing purchases of Russian coal, petrol, and oil, it says it seeks a stronger energy alliance.
In an article published in Russia prior to his trip, Xi stated, “Both sides are continuously strengthening political mutual trust. Creating a new paradigm of relations between major powers,”
China saved billions of dollars due to the effect of Western sanctions on the price of Russian energy. The United States and the European Union continue to be its most important trading partners.
Monday afternoon, Russian official media showed Xi landing at the Vnukovo airport in Moscow. On Tuesday, informal discussions and dinner with Putin will be followed by serious discussions.
Xi stated that China’s peace plan for Ukraine, presented last month, reflects global perspectives while recognising challenges.
“Complex problems do not have simple solutions,” Putin wrote in Rossiiskaya Gazeta. It is a newspaper produced by the Russian government.
