Russian President Vladimir Putin met his counterpart Chinese President Xi Xinping at side-by-side bilateral discussions during the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Summit in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand.
During the meeting, President Putin praised China for its “balanced position” on the Ukraine crisis, while also taking a swipe at the US provocations on the issue of Taiwan.
Putin further confirmed that Russia’s stands behind China on the “one China” policy.
He also assured China that the ongoing Ukraine crisis would be addressed during the meeting.
At the meeting, Putin said that Russiaa continues to highly cherish the “balanced position of our Chinese friends” on the Ukraine Crisis.
Russian forces started invading Ukraine in February, creating one of the worst humanitarian and refugee crises Europe has seen in years after the Second World War. Due to this, the West has heavily sanctioned Russians.
Putin-China Bilateral Ties
This bilateral meeting between Putin and Xi is their first in-person meeting since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. The two leaders’ last in-person meeting was at the Beijing Olympics in February.
Experts view the bilateral meeting as the formation of an emerging anti-US and anti-West alliance, which they see solidifying in the context of rising tensions as the West continues to heavily sanction Russian and the fiction on the Taiwan issue grows.
China claims sovereignty over the independent island nation under its One-China policy and has taken issue with the visit by US speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, resulting in tensions between China and the US.
The remarks by the Russian president display the strength and cooperation between China and Russia against the West, thereby lending legitimacy to the speculation.
This is President Xi’s first trip overseas since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Xi Jinping has not left China since his visit to Myanmar back in January 2020.
This high-profile meeting occurs before the crucial Communist Party of China (CPC) congress in the coming month, when Xi is anticipated to win a record-breaking third term as China’s leader.
As a result, he will become the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, experts predict.
The show of cooperation comes at a time when both nations are engaged in conflict with the West and their respective neighbors.
