Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting before the opening of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 22, 2024.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping tells Putin that China and Russia’s “deep” relationship will not change despite global geopolitical turmoil BRICS Kazakhstan summit opensRussia, Tuesday.
According to official news from the two governments, the leaders of the two countries met at the BRICS Summit in Kazan on Tuesday afternoon local time.
According to the Financial Times, Xi Jinping pointed out that the world today is facing major changes unseen in a century, and the international landscape is rapidly changing and turbulent. Meeting readout. But I firmly believe that the deep and lasting friendship between China and Russia will not change.
Putin also called the Russia-China partnership “one of the main stabilizing factors on the international stage.” The Kremlin’s official English readoutreiterate the position During the state visit to China in May.
Since February 2022, the two countries have been promoting their “unlimited” friendship to counterbalance the United States’ global influence economically and politically.
In his speech, Xi Jinping described Sino-Russian relations as “non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties.” Xi Jinping said that the two sides “continue to deepen and expand” strategic coordination and “all-round pragmatic cooperation” “in the spirit of good-neighborly friendship from generation to generation”.
‘Signs of nervousness’
However, the “unlimited friendship” is not without friction, as China tries to position itself as a global player but walks a tightrope on the Ukraine war and does not condemn Russia’s invasion.
Beijing has been “careful to avoid being closely associated with Russia’s war in Ukraine” and “maintain an appearance of impartiality,” said Eugene Rumer, the institute’s director and senior fellow. Carnegie’s Russia and Eurasia Projectwrote in September.
Although Beijing declared an “unrestricted” friendship with Russia shortly before Moscow invaded Ukraine, China did not directly provide weapons and ammunition for the war.
Teneo managing director Gabriel Wildau told CNBC on Wednesday that this week’s summit would be “an opportunity for Moscow and Beijing to show unity amid signs of tension between the two countries.”
Wildau also pointed out that China Strengthen technology and commodity export controls The military operation “sends a signal to Moscow and the rest of the world that there are limits to the Chinese leadership’s willingness to support Putin’s war effort” ahead of Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia earlier this week.
Russia-North Korea ties deepen It also puts China into an embarrassing situation. While China joined Russia in resisting calls for new sanctions on North Korea, it abstained from a vote on a U.N. Security Council resolution extending a panel on sanctions enforcement, which Moscow vetoed.
Still, growing economic and diplomatic pressure from the United States and its allies may force China to move closer to Russia. observers said.
The BRICS summit takes place from Tuesday to Thursday, bringing together representatives from 36 countries It will be the largest international gathering hosted by Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The economic alliance was originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, and was later joined by South Africa in 2010, hence the name of this organization of rapidly developing countries. Ever since Evolved into a geopolitical forum For the most powerful country in the world outside the West.
The BRICS has become even more influential after Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined it in January, making membership an important step for countries looking to boost trade, investment and economic development. An attractive prospect.
“It’s unclear whether the group can move beyond issuing vague statements of solidarity and function as a mechanism for coordinating action,” Wildau said. He added that the latest expansion made the group “potentially more influential, but also more irascible.” and difficult to control”.
Putin is expected to hold a press conference after the summit on Thursday. Reuters quoted Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov as saying on Monday.
—CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt contributed to this article.
