BEIJING: Russian leader Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that world conflicts “strengthen” his country’s ties with China after talks with Xi Jinping that celebrated their countries’ deepening political and economic relations.
Putin, on his first visit to a major global power since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, met his “old friend” Xi Jinping in Beijing on the margins of a major forum in an event overshadowed by conflict in the Middle East.
Putin Optimistic for Future Relations
At a media conference following the meeting, Putin said that global turmoil served to bring Beijing and Moscow even closer together. He said that all these outside factors are common threats and they strengthen the cooperation between Russia and China, AFP news agency reported. Putin also said he had “optimism” for the future of these ties.
Xi, too, said that political mutual trust between the two nations is continuously deepening, according to Chinese state media, appreciating their “close and effective strategic coordination”. He said that he had met with Putin forty-two times in the past decade, saying they had developed a deep friendship and a good working relationship.
Putin was the guest of honour at the summit hosted by Xi Jinping in Beijing this week to celebrate his Belt and Road Initiative, a major trade and infrastructure project.
Global attention has been focused on the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has raged for more than ten days, and both Russia and China condemned the Tuesday night attack on a Gaza hospital that martyred hundreds of innocent Palestinians.
Putin on Wednesday said the attack was a “tragedy” and showed the need to bring the conflict to an end. He said that this is a terrible event; I really hope that this will be a signal that this conflict needs to end as soon as possible.
China’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it was “shocked by and strongly condemns” the attack, urging for an “immediate ceasefire”. Earlier, Xi urged for joint efforts by China and Russia to “safeguard international fairness” and “justice”.
