RUSSIA: Thursday’s meeting between Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China will focus on Taiwan and Ukraine, according to the Kremlin, and will be of “particular significance” given the geopolitical climate.
Just a month before he is scheduled to solidify his position as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, Xi Jinping will leave China for the first time in more than two years on a trip this week to Central Asia, where he will meet Putin.
At a conference in Moscow, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that “the presidents would discuss both the bilateral agenda and the important regional and international concerns.”
They will undoubtedly have favourable opinions on the bilateral strategic partnership’s historically high degree of trust, he continued.
The West is concerned about the geopolitical implications of the expanding “no limits” alliance between Russia, the world’s largest natural resource producer, and China, a rising powerhouse.
Both leaders can show their opposition to the United States at a time when the West is trying to punish Russia for what Moscow refers to as a “special military operation” in Ukraine. The meeting will give Xi the chance to show off his influence while Putin can highlight Russia’s tilt towards Asia.
The Kremlin claims that trade between the nations increased and surpassed $140 billion in 2021, up from almost $93 in the first seven months of this year.
One of the main sources of income for Moscow’s state coffers is oil sales to China, which is Russia’s largest oil customer.
As its gas exports to Europe have been considerably reduced due to the dispute over Ukraine, Russia is also attempting to increase its gas sales to China and construct new pipelines for the nation.
Ushakov stated that Moscow respects Beijing’s stance on the dispute, which he referred to as the “Ukraine issue,” and claimed that Beijing had adopted a “balanced approach.”
China “has a thorough understanding of the circumstances that led to Russia launching its special military operation. Undoubtedly, the future conference will include a detailed discussion of this problem,” Ushakov declared.
Xi and Putin will meet in Samarkand, an ancient Silk Road city, in Uzbekistan, on the eve of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Ushakov stated that there won’t be any new energy agreements inked with China in Uzbekistan.
Putin will also meet other leaders, including those from India, Pakistan, Turkey and Iran, but his meeting with the Chinese leader “has special significance”, Kremlin foreign policy spokesman Yuri Ushakov said.
According to him, the summit is taking place “against the background of extensive political changes”.
China and Russia have long sought to position the SCO, founded in 2001 with four former Soviet Central Asian nations, as an alternative to Western multilateral groups.
Xi’s visit comes amid a new lockdown in China, where his zero-Covid policy is still in place. While the rest of the world has opened up and learned to live with the virus, Beijing continues to lock down entire cities and provinces every time cases spike.
Shanghai cooperation organisation
Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the SCO is a political, economic, and security organisation for Eurasia. The organisation is now seeking Iran’s membership.
As a significant investor in the area through its Belt and Road initiatives, China will be a topic of discussion during the summit for members who will be discussing trade.
For years, Beijing has sought to open up new train routes for its trade with Europe, while Central Asian nations desire for stronger linkages with China.
The building of a new line linking Kyrgyzstan to China and Uzbekistan is scheduled to start in 2023, according to an announcement made earlier this year.
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