Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that Beijing will continue to make relations with Moscow a priority, considering that Russia and China are ‘two great neighboring powers’ and ‘strategic partners’.
“Chinese Premier Li Chiang will continue to prioritize the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia,” Xi said in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the second day of his visit to Moscow.
Announcing that he had invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to China as a sign of the strength of ties between the two countries, which have been experiencing tensions with the West, Xi emphasized that China and Russia are two friendly countries.
“As President, I chose to come to Russia first, which is in line with historical logic. Because we are the two largest neighboring countries and we are also strategic partners,” Xi added.
Meanwhile, Russian energy giant Gazprom reported record natural gas deliveries to Beijing via the Siberian Pipeline from Russia to northeast China.
Xi and Putin are expected to discuss the conflict in Ukraine again today, after Beijing made an attempt to halt the conflict last month.
Xi’s three-day visit is an opportunity for Putin to stand by an important partner at a time when he faces isolation in the West and last week had an arrest warrant issued for him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
In their meeting yesterday, Putin said he “respectfully” reviewed Beijing’s initiative for peace in Ukraine, emphasizing that Russia and China have many common goals.
Xi said his country would continue to play a ‘constructive role’ in seeking a political solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
