TIANJIN, China: The Kremlin said on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a “detailed” conversation ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China, discussing bilateral ties and recent Russia–US contacts.
“Yes, our president, first of all, communicated in great detail, of course, with the President of the PRC (People’s Republic of China). They sat together and were able to talk actively, very effectively,” Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin.
Ushakov noted that Putin told him the content of his discussion with Xi included the latest contacts between Russia and the US.
The Russian president arrived in China earlier Sunday as part of a four-day visit to the country, during which he is set to participate in the 25th SCO Heads of State Council meeting.
Putin is also set to hold various talks on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, as well as attend ceremonial events in Beijing dedicated to the 80th of World War II. China is scheduled to hold a parade at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on Wednesday.
During his conversation with journalists, Ushakov said that Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, who also arrived in Tianjin for the SCO summit, have not yet met ahead of the event.
“But members of the Russian delegation actively communicated with colleagues from Azerbaijan,” Ushakov went on to say.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also spoke to reporters in Tianjin later in the day, saying Putin and Xi had their “long” conversation during a banquet held to welcome international guests set to attend the SCO summit.
Peskov further touched on the topic of a potential meeting between Putin and Aliyev, saying the Russian side hopes the two leaders will have the opportunity to meet on the sidelines of the summit on Monday.
The Kremlin spokesman went on to describe a meeting between Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held earlier Sunday as “good and lengthy.”
He added that Putin further agreed on additional bilateral meetings with various heads of state and government at the banquet.
President Xi gathered the leaders of Russia, Pakistan, and India among dignitaries from around 20 Eurasian countries on Sunday for the SCO summit aimed, putting China front and centre of regional relations.
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus – with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn are also attending the Summit.
Speaking at a banquet to welcome international guests, President Xi said the SCO is shouldering greater responsibilities for safeguarding regional peace and stability, and for boosting development of various countries in a world of increasing uncertainties and accelerated changes, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
According to Xinhua, Xi expressed confidence that with the concerted efforts of all parties, the summit will be a complete success.
He said the SCO is certain to play an even bigger role and achieve more progress, making a greater contribution to boosting unity and cooperation among member states.
“The Tianjin summit is the largest-ever annual summit of the group. Member states are expected to adopt key documents, including the organisation’s development strategy for the next decade,” Xinhua reported.
“Xi told the guests at the banquet that as an open and inclusive city, Tianjin serves as a pioneering zone for China’s reform and opening-up, and hosting the summit here will undoubtedly inject new vitality into the sustainable development of the SCO.”
The Chinese president was also quoted as saying that the SCO has “become an important force in building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity”.
