Xi calls Russia ties priority: Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China would emphasise ties with Russia, calling the two “great neighbouring powers” as he prepared for a second day of talks with Vladimir Putin likely to focus on Ukraine.
The Chinese President extended an invitation to Putin, who is currently exiled abroad, to visit China later this year. Both leaders are seeking to form an alliance to challenge Western influence.
Since Russia’s campaign in Ukraine, trade relations between Beijing and Moscow have exploded, tying the two countries closer together and causing concern in Western capitals about how far the connections may develop.
Furthermore, The all-around strategic alliance between China and Russia would “continue to get priority from the Chinese government,” according to Xi.
Russian news outlets quoted him as saying during a meeting with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, “We are big neighbouring powers.”
On Tuesday, Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan, traveled to Kyiv unexpectedly and is planning to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky, who is a rival of Vladimir Putin. Xi’s travel aligns with this development.
Moreover, people see Xi’s trip to Moscow as a significant victory for Putin, who the International Criminal Court suspects of forcibly deporting children from Ukraine and who is currently the subject of Western sanctions.
