Xi Jinping meets Vladimir Putin in Russia, set to deepen ‘no-limits friendship’
1 min read 20 Mar 2023, 07:17 PM ISTChinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday, seeking both to deepen economic ties with an ally he sees as a useful counterweight to the West and promote Beijing's role as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine.
PremiumAs the Ukraine-Russia war rages on, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday for a three day visit. The trip has been descibed by both countries as an opportunity to deepen their “no-limits friendship" and comes mere days after the issue of an international arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While Xi Jinping walks a diplomatic tightrope, Russia has sought to showcase the trip as evidence that it has a powerful friend in its standoff with a hostile West.
"We can feel the geopolitical landscape in the outside world undergoing drastic changes," Putin was quoted as saying in an article by China's People's Daily.
The report published on the Kremlin website added that he had high hopes for the visit of his "good old friend".
ALSO READ: Mint Explainer: The significance of Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia
The Russian president is slated to attend a high-stakes dinner with Xi on Monday evening. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that their conversation was likely to include a “detailed explanation" of Moscow's actions in Ukraine. Broader talks involving officials from both countries on a range of subjects are scheduled for Tuesday.
Beijing has repeatedly dismissed Western accusations that it is planning to arm Russia but says it wants a closer energy partnership after boosting imports of Russian coal, gas and oil. China has also released a broad 12-point proposal to solve the Ukraine crisis, while strengthening relations with Moscow.
(With inputs from agencies)
