Russian and Chinese leaders support each other during the virtual summit

Asia-Pacific, News December 16, 2021 , by IRIA No Comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a video conference for the second time this year.

Both presidents emphasized how the common hostility towards the West has brought Moscow and Beijing closer to each other. Putin and Xi agreed that Russia and China should resolutely reject Western interference and safeguard each other’s security interests.

According to Chinese official media reports, the video call between the two leaders lasted more than an hour, from 4:07 PM to 5:21 PM, Beijing time.

During their virtual meeting, Putin and Xi Jinping praised the relationship between Russia and China in their opening speeches, which Russian leaders described as “a proper example of interstate cooperation in the 21st century.”

Chinese President Xi stated that the Russian president “strongly supported China’s efforts to protect key national interests and firmly opposed attempts to drive a wedge between our countries.”

The Russian president said: “A new model of cooperation has been formed between our countries, based among other things on such principles as not interfering in internal affairs [of each other], respect for each other’s interests, determination to turn the shared border into a belt of eternal peace and good neighborliness.”

Putin also stated that he plans to attend the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games and meet the Chinese president in person in February. “As agreed, we will hold talks and then take part in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games, Putin said.

“I would like to note that we invariably support each other on issues of international sports cooperation, including rejection of any attempts to politicize sports and the Olympic movement,” the Russian president said.

According to the Russian leader, in the first 11 months of this year, the bilateral trade between Russia and China was up 31% reaching $123 billion, and both countries plan to exceed it to $200 billion in the near future.

Putin also stated that China was becoming an international center for the production of Russian vaccines, Sputnik and Sputnik Light, against COVID-19, and indicated that the contracts signed with six manufacturers would facilitate the production of more than 150 million doses.

Russian diplomat Yuri Ushakov said that Chinese President Xi had offered support to Russian President Putin for his ambition to obtain binding security guarantees for Russia from the West, and said that he understood Russia’s concerns.

Both leaders also expressed their “negative view” on the establishment of new military alliances, such as the Quad alliance of the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia in the Indo-Pacific, and the AUKUS partnership between the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia, he added.

In recent years, the foreign policies of Russia and China have become aligned to counter the U.S. domination of the international political and economic order, both countries face sanctions over their internal policies.

Earlier last week, Russian President Putin also held talks with U.S. President Joe Biden in a similar format. According to the White House statement, President Biden expressed the United States and its European partners’ concerns about “Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine and made clear that the U.S. and our Allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation.”

During their talks on December 7, both presidents also discussed the U.S.-Russia dialogue on Strategic Stability and agreed to work jointly on regional issues, including North Korea and Iran.