Chinese Presidents Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin showed Thursday their desire to support each other and strengthen their ties in the midst of a crisis with Westerners, during their first meeting since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, at a time when relations between their countries and the United States are highly strained.
In this context, the rapprochement between Beijing and Moscow, whose relations are not free from friction, stands out against the United States which they consider hostile to their interests.
“China is willing to work with Russia to shoulder their great power responsibilities, play a leading role, and inject stability and positive energy into a chaotic world.”Xi Jinping said at the start of the live-streamed interview.
According to Chinese state television, Mr. Xi also told Mr. Putin that China was ready to “to work with Russia for firm and mutual support on issues related to each other’s core interests and to deepen cooperation”.
Mr Putin, for his part, denounced Western attempts to “creating a unipolar world”who have “recently taken an absolutely ugly form and are completely unacceptable”.
China’s ‘concerns’ over Ukraine?
Their previous meeting dates back to last February, when the Russian president visited the Beijing Winter Olympics.
If he greeted Thursday the “balanced position” of Mr. Xi on Ukraine, the Russian head of state also said “understand (his) questions and (his) concerns” on this subject. “We will explain our position in detail”he added, without further details.
Beijing has neither publicly supported nor criticized the Russian offensive, while repeatedly expressing its support for Moscow in the face of Western sanctions.
The meeting between Messrs. Xi and Putin was the most anticipated event of the SCO summit which is due to last until Friday and features several leaders including those from India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and other countries. ‘Central Asia.
For Mr. Putin, who is trying to seek support in the face of Western sanctions against his country following its offensive against Ukraine, where its army is in difficulty, this summit makes it possible to show that Russia is not isolated.
Before Mr. Xi, he spoke with the presidents of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, and Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdymoukhamedov.
In Samarkand, Xi, who is making his first overseas trip to Central Asia since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, hopes to further cement his stature as a top leader ahead of a Chinese Communist Party congress in October. during which he is seeking a new mandate.
On Friday, Chinese state television CCTV announced that he would meet, for the first time, his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the summit.
China, critical of Washington’s sanctions against Tehran, signed a 25-year strategic agreement with Iran in March 2021.
Taiwan: Putin supports Xi
As if to signal their rapprochement in the face of tensions with the West, Russian and Chinese ships carried out a joint patrol in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday in order to “strengthen their maritime cooperation”according to Moscow.
During the interview on Thursday, Putin reiterated Moscow’s support for Beijing over Taiwan, where visits by US officials in recent weeks have drawn the ire of China, condemning a “provocation”.
The Chinese president also held talks in Samarkand with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Moscow’s main ally, who welcomed the “serious support” from Beijing to “this difficult period”.
The SCO, whose members are China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four former Soviet republics of Central Asia, was created in 2001 as a tool for political, economic and security cooperation competing with the Western organizations.
“The Shanghai Cooperation Organization offers a real alternative to Western-oriented structures”the Kremlin’s diplomatic adviser, Yuri Ouchakov, assured the press on Tuesday.
The conflict in Ukraine, the situation in Afghanistan or even the unrest that has shaken several Central Asian countries in recent months should be among the main topics discussed.
Mr Putin is due to have talks with several other leaders, including Friday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.