MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin said that Chinese President Xi Jinping would visit Russia, amid Washington fears Beijing could effectively support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, It has been said that the relationship had reached “new ground”.
China’s arms sales to Russia would threaten the possibility of escalating the Ukraine war into a confrontation between Russia and China on the one hand and Ukraine and the US-led NATO military alliance on the other.
Putin, who welcomed Chinese diplomat Wang Yi to the Kremlin, said bilateral trade was better than expected and could reach $185 billion to $200 billion a year in 2022.
“We expect the President of the People’s Republic of China to visit Russia. We agreed to that,” Putin said.
“Everything is progressing and evolving. We are reaching a new frontier,” Putin said.
Wang told Putin that relations between the two countries have endured the pressure of an unstable international situation and that the crisis presents certain opportunities.
Wang said through an interpreter that China-Russia relations are not anti-third party and “will not yield to third-party pressure.” This is a clear blow to the United States.
“I support both multipolarization and democratization in international relations,” Wang told Putin. “It is perfectly in keeping with the course of time and history, and is in the interests of most countries.”
Wang previously said he was looking forward to meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and reaching a new agreement during his visit to Moscow. Contract details did not exist.
When Xi met with Putin in person just before Russia sent troops to Ukraine, they struck up a cross-border partnership that sparked concern in the West.
China is Russia’s largest purchaser of oil and a major source of revenue for the Russian treasury.
In Putin’s biggest confrontation with the West since the height of the Cold War, the support of Chinese powers has allowed Russia’s isolation in the West to be portrayed as an Asian prejudice.
For Xi, Russia is now more dependent on China than ever before. Once the leader of the world’s communist hierarchy after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia is now at the forefront of many 21st century technologies and a junior partner of a resurgent China.
US Secretary of State Antony Brinken warned Wang on Saturday of the consequences if China effectively supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and in an interview after the two met, Washington said Beijing would consider supplying Moscow with arms. said he was concerned that
Beijing denies military aid to Russia
Asked about the issue of Chinese aid, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Beijing officials had already raised the issue.
“They have already answered that question. In fact, they categorically deny it. I have nothing to add here. “
China said the US was not in a position to demand it, following Brinken’s warning that he did not provide evidence.
“No matter how the international situation changes, China is determined to work with Russia to maintain the positive trend in the development of great-power relations,” Wang told Lavrov.
Mr Wang said he would work to “strengthen and deepen” Moscow-Beijing relations.
Xi stood by Putin during the conflict in Ukraine and resisted Western pressure to isolate Russia. Sino-Russian trade has soared since it invaded Ukraine, boosting Russia’s oil exports to Asian countries, including China.
