Russian Prime Minister Mishustin visits China to meet Xi Jinping, boost bilateral cooperation

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News December 21, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit on December 19, 2023, to meet his Chinese counterpart and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mishustin’s visit is aimed at deepening the economic bond between the two sides and help jointly cope with external interference in the region, Chinese state-owned media reported.

Mishustin attended the 28th regular meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. “Mikhail Mishustin will meet with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and hold negotiations with Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Qiang,” said a statement by the Russian government on Telegram before Mishustin started his trip on Monday.

“Russia-China relations are at an all-time high,” Mishustin told his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang, according to Chinese state broadcaster and the Kremlin. According to readouts released from both Moscow and Beijing, Mishustin hailed his country’s relationship with China, declaring an “all-time high” in bilateral ties during a visit to the Chinese capital.

The two countries have ramped up economic cooperation, military interactions, and diplomatic engagements in recent times despite the backlash from the Western world following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Li told Mishustin that “under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, China-Russia relations continue to operate at a high level.” He said that the two countries must seek ways to “carry forward the ever-lasting friendship, more stability, and positive energy into the world.”

Meeting with Xi Jinping

While in Beijing, the Russian Prime Minister met with China’s President Xi Jinping. Xi said the two nations should continue to enrich their bilateral cooperation by giving full play to the advantages of political mutual trust, economic complementarity, infrastructure connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. He highlighted the need for joint efforts to safeguard the security and stability of industrial and supply chains.

Xi announced that the two nations have successfully achieved the target of increasing annual bilateral trade to $200 billion in the January-November period, a goal jointly set by him and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This achievement highlights the robust resilience and promising prospects of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin — *^{Chinese President Xi Jinping with Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing, China, on December 20, 2023. (Image Credit: Xinhua/Ding Lin)}*

Emphasizing that the strategic choice of upholding and strengthening bilateral ties is rooted in the fundamental interests of their peoples, Xi underscored the significance of building a strong foundation for cooperation.

“Maintaining and developing China-Russia relations is a strategic choice made by both sides based on the fundamental interests of the two peoples,” Xi told Mishustin in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People where he hosted the Russian Prime Minister for the second time since taking the office, the Chinese state broadcaster reported.

China maintains an ambiguous stance on the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing the importance of respecting the territorial integrity of all nations. Rather than explicitly labeling the Russian actions as an “invasion,” China has refrained from such terminology and has taken a stance against imposing sanctions on Moscow.

In response to accusations of supporting the Russian invasion, China put forward a 12-point peace plan. However, this proposal has been met with skepticism by Ukraine and its Western allies.