Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia contributes to global strategic stability – Reuters

In a briefing for Chinese media after the visit, Mr. Qin Gang said that President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin had had many hours of sincere, friendly and fruitful discussions, exchanged views on bilateral relations, the Ukrainian crisis and major international issues, and reached a broad consensus. Under the new circumstances, China and Russia remain committed to promoting comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, which will benefit both peoples and make new contributions to human development and progress, he said.The two leaders signed and issued a joint statement on deepening China-Russia relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation entering a new era, in which the two sides made it clear that China-Russia relations go beyond military-political alliance of the Cold War and are characterized by the absence of alliance, the absence of confrontation and the absence of third-party targeting.Stressing the need for China and Russia to intensify practical cooperation in various fields, the two countries reaffirmed in a joint statement their commitment to firmly support the international system based on the United Nations, opposing the hegemonism , unilateralism and power politics in all its forms, against bloc confrontation and the formation of small circles centered on a specific country.Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, the leaders of the PRC and Russia stressed that responsible dialogue is the best way to reach appropriate solutions. They called for an end to all actions leading to tension and prolonging the conflict, and to oppose any unilateral sanctions not regulated by the UN Security Council. President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have expressed concern over NATO’s continued strengthening of military ties in the Asia-Pacific region and its negative impact on regional peace and security.Observers noted that strengthening relations between China and Russia as the world’s two largest countries is critical to their development and the global geopolitical landscape.Alexander Bobrov, a foreign policy expert at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, said Xi Jinping’s visit would serve to further develop Russian-Chinese economic cooperation. China has been Russia’s largest trading partner for 13 years. In 2022, trade between Russia and China topped $190 billion, up 116% from a decade ago. In the first two months of 2023, bilateral trade grew 25.9 percent year-on-year to $33.69 billion as the two countries also significantly increased the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative ” and the Eurasian Economic Union in recent years.Sergey Malakhov, executive director of the Institute for the Development of Parliamentarianism in Russia, said the meeting of the two leaders is important not only for Russia, but also for the international community, as Western countries are waging an aggressive socio-political campaign to put pressure on Russia, seeking to weaken the country’s position on the international scene.At a joint press conference with Putin on March 21, Xi Jinping noted that China-Russia relations go far beyond bilateral ties and are crucial for peace and the future of mankind. Through multilateral institutions such as the UN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and G20, China and Russia closely cooperate on regional and global security issues.Imran Khalid, an independent commentator on international affairs, wrote in an article published on the China Global Television Network website that Westerners fail to see the strong core of trust that has developed between China and Russia over the last two decades. According to him, the promotion of multipolarity and the democratization of international relations are two fundamental elements that create strong ties between the two parties. Khalid hailed China’s stance on the Ukraine issue, saying it was an “active neutrality” that reflects Russia and Ukraine’s demands and relates to broader international issues such as security food and global strategic stability. “He fully recognizes the complexity and difficulty of the issue and demonstrates China’s responsible stance of not sitting idly by, starting fires and opposing the use of the situation to its advantage.” , wrote the expert.Experts hail China’s proposals to resolve Ukraine crisisAnalysts say Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, his first overseas trip since his re-election earlier this month, demonstrates China’s growing role in promoting peace and seeking diplomatic solutions to the Ukrainian crisis through dialogue. The trip to Moscow strengthened Xi Jinping’s position as a champion of world peace, amid growing discontent in emerging countries in the South over US actions to escalate the conflict.Martin Jacques, a British scholar, noted that Xi Jinping’s visit is very timely. According to him, the West, and especially the United States, insist on the development of the conflict, and Russia and Ukraine want to create the most favorable conditions before talking about a ceasefire or negotiations.Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the Ukrainian crisis should be normalized through dialogue. The Russian side hailed China’s willingness to play a positive role in the politico-diplomatic settlement of the crisis, as well as its constructive proposals set out in China’s position paper released on February 24 advocating a political solution to the crisis. . Both sides noted that for this it is necessary to respect the security interests of all countries, avoid block confrontation and stoke the fire.The contrast between Xi Jinping and some Western politicians is stark in the current global crisis, said Macharia Munene, professor of history and international relations at US-Africa International University in Kenya. The visit to Russia reinforces Xi Jinping’s position as a proponent of world peace, as some Western politicians “seem to be perpetual warmongers hostile to a ceasefire”, Munene said.Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Pakistan Center for Security Studies and Studies, believes that China, which seeks peace through mediation, and the US-led NATO countries, which oppose a ceasefire and send more weapons to Ukraine, present surprising positions. .Carlos Martínez, British columnist and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China magazine, said Beijing has a principled stance of neutrality and wants to end the conflict.In addition, China recently achieved a historic international success in helping restore diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was received with jubilation across the region.Martin Jacques noted that the world is still under the hegemony of the West and the United States, but the Russian-Ukrainian conflict shows a serious limitation of American influence. He added that the United States and Europe are too deeply involved in the conflict, so they have little room to manoeuvre, while countries like China, India, South Africa and Indonesia have more leeway. “You can see very clearly that the developing world has definitely taken a relatively neutral stance towards the conflict,” Jacques said, adding that the developing world does not want to get involved in the conflict, feels bad about it. comfortable with being pushed into it and refuses to impose sanctions on Russia.Contributed by Chen Weihua, Xu Weiwei, Edith Mumetha