BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised “unprecedented” close relations with China, as he met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing hours ahead of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, AP reported.
The two leaders are looking to project themselves as a counterweight to the US and its allies, as China growingly shows support for Moscow in its dispute with Ukraine that threatens to break out into armed conflict.
Putin said ties with Beijing were a “worthy” example, as Russian television showed his opening remarks.
Relations “are developing in a progressive way with a spirit of friendship and strategic partnership,” Putin said. “They have indeed become unprecedented. It’s an example of dignified relations that support mutual development.”
Putin highlighted close economic ties, including a new contract to supply China with 10 billion cubic metres of gas per year from eastern Russia.
“For our meeting today, our oilmen have prepared very good new solutions for the supply of hydrocarbons to the People’s Republic of China, and another step forward has been taken in the gas industry,” Putin said.
Russia has long been a key supplier of oil, gas and coal for China’s massive economy, now the world’s second largest, along with food stuffs and other raw materials.
China’s state-run news agency reported the two leaders met at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse Friday afternoon, but gave no details. They did not appear to shake hands when greeting each other due to Covid-19 precautions.
Putin also recalled his presence in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the Chinese delegation’s attendance at Russia’s 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, calling such exchanges “to a certain extent a tradition.”
The discussions mark their first in-person meeting since 2019 and come as China and Russia increasingly align their foreign policies bilaterally and in world bodies such as the United Nations, in opposition to the United States-led bloc.
Leaders of the five ex-Soviet Central Asian nations, which have close ties with both Russia and China, all followed Putin’s lead and are attending, along with other states that have political and economic interests with Beijing.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organisation Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation Daren Tang were among other dignitaries who arrived Thursday.
The Putin-Xi talks were expected to focus on coordinating their countries’ foreign policies, with Putin writing in an article published Thursday by the Chinese news agency Xinhua that Moscow and Beijing play an “important stabilising role” in global affairs and help make international affairs “more equitable and inclusive.”
The Russian president criticised “attempts by some countries to politicise sports to the benefit of their ambitions,” an apparent reference to a US-led diplomatic boycott, which does not affect the participation of athletes in the Games.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, said that Moscow and Beijing plan to issue a joint statement that will reflect their shared views on global security, as officials from the two countries are set to sign more than a dozen agreements on trade, energy and other issues.
Ushakov noted that Moscow and Beijing have close or identical stands on most international issues. He said China supports Russia’s demands for security guarantees that have underpinned the standoff over Ukraine.
