Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on development of Russia’s military industrial complex, in Moscow, Russia on May 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin landed on May 16 in Beijing for a two-day state visit to China, in a show of unity between the authoritarian allies as Moscow presses forward with a new offensive in Ukraine.

Mr. Putin’s visit comes as Russia has become more economically dependent on China following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.

On the eve of the visit, Mr. Putin said in an interview with Chinese media that the Kremlin is prepared to negotiate over the conflict in Ukraine. “We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours,” Mr. Putin was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

The Russian leader’s two-day trip comes as his country’s forces have pressed an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region that began last week in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began, forcing almost 8,000 people to flee their homes.

Along with Moscow’s efforts to build on its gains in the nearby Donetsk region, the 2-year-old war has entered a critical stage for Ukraine’s depleted military that is awaiting new supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells from the United States.

“We have never refused to negotiate,” Mr. Putin was quoted as saying by Xinhua. “We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said any negotiations must include a restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression, and security guarantees for Ukraine.

China claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but has backed Moscow’s contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, despite Mr. Putin’s public avowals of his desire to restore Russia’s century-old borders as the reason for his assault.

Mr. Putin has blamed the West for the failure of negotiations in the opening weeks of the war and praised China’s peace plan for Ukraine that would allow Moscow to cement its territorial gains.

“Beijing proposes practicable and constructive steps to achieve peace by refraining from pursuing vested interests and constant escalation of tensions, minimizing the negative impact of the conflict on the global economy,” he had said.

Mr. Putin said a Chinese proposal in 2023, which Ukraine and the West rejected, could “lay the groundwork for a political and diplomatic process that would take into account Russia’s security concerns and contribute to achieving a long-term and sustainable peace”.

The Kremlin said in a statement that during their talks this week, Mr. Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will “have a detailed discussion on the entire range of issues related to the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation and determine the new directions for further development of cooperation between Russia and China and also have a detailed exchange of opinions on the most acute international and regional issues”.

The visit furthers the effort by China and Russia to topple the U.S.-led Western democratic order in favor of a more authoritarian model that crushes political opposition, human rights and freedom of speech. Mr. Putin began a fifth term in office this month.

Speaking on May 14 in the Upper House of Russian Parliament, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow and Beijing are “objectively interested in maintaining our lead in efforts to establish a more fair and democratic world order”.

“Russia and China aren’t alone in their efforts to reform an international system and help establish a multipolar global order,” he said.

Mr. Lavrov noted that the “duet of Moscow and Beijing plays a major balancing role in global affairs,” adding that “the Russian president’s forthcoming visit to [China] will strengthen our joint work”.

Moscow has forged increasingly close ties with Beijing as the war has dragged into a third year, diverting the bulk of its energy exports to China and relying on Chinese companies for importing high-tech components for Russian military industries to circumvent Western sanctions.

The Russia-China military ties have also strengthened. They have held a series of joint war games in recent years, including naval drills and patrols by long-range bombers over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. Russian and Chinese ground forces also have deployed to the other country’s territory for joint drills.

China remains a major market for Russian military, while also massively expanding its domestic defensive industries, including building aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.

Mr. Putin has previously said that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability. In October 2019, he mentioned that Russia was helping China to develop an early warning system to spot ballistic missile launches — a system involving ground-based radar and satellites that only Russia and the U.S. possessed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. File.
| Photo Credit: AP

 Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a two-day state visit to China this week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on May 14.

Mr. Putin will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping during his visit starting on Thursday, it said.

The Kremlin in a statement confirmed the trip and said Mr. Putin was going on Mr. Xi’s invitation. It said that this will be Putin’s first foreign trip since he was sworn in as president and began his fifth term in office.

China has backed Russia politically in the conflict in Ukraine and has continued to export machine tools and other items seen as contributing to the Russian war effort, without actually exporting weaponry.

China is also a major export market for energy supplies that keep the Kremlin’s coffers full. China’s Foreign Ministry said Xi would discuss with Mr. Putin “cooperation in various fields of bilateral relations … as well as international and regional issues of common concern.”

China has sought to project itself as a neutral party in the conflict, but has declared a “no limits” relationship with Russia in opposition to the West. The sides have also held a series of joint military drills and China has consistently opposed economic sanctions against Russia in response to its now two-year-old campaign of conquest against Ukraine.

The two continent-sized authoritarian states are increasingly in dispute with democracies and NATO, seek to gain influence in Africa, the Middle East and South America.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, Vladimir Putin shake hands during the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Russian leader Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that world conflicts “strengthen” his country’s relations with China, after talks with Xi Jinping that celebrated their nations’ deepening political and economic ties.

Mr. Putin, on his first trip to a major global power since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, met his “old friend” Mr. Xi in Beijing on the sidelines of a major forum in an event overshadowed by conflict in the Middle East.

At a press conference following the talks, Mr. Putin said that global turmoil served to bring China and Russia even closer together.

“All these outside factors are common threats and they strengthen Russian-Chinese cooperation,” he said.

The Russian leader also said he had “optimism” for the future of the relationship.

Mr. Xi, too, said that “political mutual trust between the two countries is continuously deepening”, according to Xinhua news agency, hailing their “close and effective strategic coordination”.

Mr. Xi noted that he had met with Mr. Putin 42 times in the past decade, saying they had “developed a good working relationship and a deep friendship”.

Mr. Putin was the guest of honour at the summit hosted by Mr. Xi in Beijing this week to celebrate his Belt and Road Initiative, a vast trade and infrastructure project.

International attention has been focused on the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has raged for more than 10 days, and both Russia and China condemned the Tuesday night strike on a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds.

Mr. Putin on Wednesday said the strike was a “tragedy” and showed the need to bring the conflict between Israel and Hamas to an end.

“This is a terrible event… I really hope that this will be a signal that this conflict needs to end as soon as possible,” he said.

China’s Foreign Ministry said it was “shocked by and strongly condemns” the strike, calling for an “immediate ceasefire”.

Earlier, Mr. Xi called for joint efforts by China and Russia to “safeguard international fairness” and “justice”, Xinhua reported.

China is Russia’s largest trading partner, with exchange between the nations reaching a record $190 billion last year, Beijing customs data shows.

And Mr. Xi said on Wednesday it was progressing towards a goal of $200 billion set by the two countries in bilateral meetings this year.

Beijing has drawn criticism from Western countries for its stance on the Ukraine war, on which China insists it is neutral. It has refused to criticise Moscow’s invasion.

Mr. Putin is on a mission to strengthen the already strong bond with his communist neighbour, though experts say Moscow is increasingly the junior partner in the relationship.

In his talks with Mr. Xi, he stressed the importance of “close coordination in foreign policy” in “the current difficult conditions”.

Representatives of 130 countries are in the Chinese capital for the two-day talking shop that wraps up on Wednesday.

Earlier, Mr. Xi said in a speech to the international delegates that his country rejected “economic coercion” and “bloc confrontation”.

In an apparent reference to China’s rivalry with the United States, Mr. Xi said Beijing would not engage in “ideological confrontation, geopolitical games or bloc confrontation”.

“We oppose unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, decoupling and delinking,” Mr. Xi told delegates.

“Viewing the development of others as a threat and economic interdependence as a risk will not make one’s own life any better or one’s own development any faster,” he said.

Instead, Mr. Xi said, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) would seek to “inject new impetus into the global economy”.

He also pledged to inject more than $100 billion of new funding into BRI projects.

Mr. Putin then took to the stage, hailing the infrastructure initiative as a “success story”.

The United States has asked China to use its influence to help de-escalate the Israel-Hamas conflict, which erupted after the Palestinian militant group launched an attack in Israel, killing 1,400 people.

Israel then launched a devastating air campaign against Gaza, which has seen more than a million people in the blockaded territory flee their homes. About 3,000 Gazans have been killed since Israel launched its air campaign, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

China, which brokered a detente between key Hamas backer Iran and its regional foe Saudi Arabia this year, said it would send its Middle East envoy Zhai Jun to the volatile region this week.

No details have been given about where or when exactly Mr. Zhai would travel, though CCTV has said he will push for a ceasefire and peace talks.

Russia, which has traditionally maintained good relations with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, has called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the conflict.

Mr. Putin and his entourage flew into the Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday morning, according to Reuters video footage, in the Kremlin chief’s first official trip outside of the former Soviet Union this year. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a widely watched trip aimed at showcasing the deep mutual trust and “no-limits” partnership between China and its giant neighbour.

Mr. Putin and his entourage flew into the Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday morning, according to Reuters video footage, in the Kremlin chief’s first official trip outside of the former Soviet Union this year.

Mr. Putin has travelled little abroad since the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March, accusing him of illegally deporting children from Ukraine. Mr. Putin visited Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, earlier this month.

The ICC’s move obliges the court’s 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory. Neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are members of the ICC, established to prosecute war crimes.

Mr. Xi last saw his “dear friend” in Moscow just days after the warrant was issued. At the time, Xi invited Putin to attend the third Belt and Road forum in Beijing, an international cooperation forum championed by the Chinese leader. Putin will meet with Xi on Wednesday.

Beijing has rejected Western criticism of its partnership with Moscow even as the war in Ukraine showed no sign of ceasing, insisting that their ties do not violate international norms, and China has the right to collaborate with whichever country it chooses.

Mr. Putin last visited China for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022 when Russia and China declared a “no-limits” partnership days before the Russian president sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.

It would be Mr. Putin’s third attendance of the Belt and Road Forum, which runs through Wednesday. He attended the two previous forums in 2017 and 2019.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Beijing in October for talks with China’s Xi Jinping, Interfax cited Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, as saying on Tuesday.

“In October, we look forward to thorough bilateral talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing,” Mr. Patrushev said at a meeting in Moscow with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi.

In Beijing, Mr. Putin will take part in a forum on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Mr. Patrushev said.

Tokyo:

The Group of Seven (G7) on Tuesday called on China to press Russia to stop its aggression in Ukraine after foreign ministers of the bloc met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and released a joint statement. The statement, released by the foreign ministry of G7 chair Japan, said the members hoped China would push for the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

The statement comes as China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, visits Russia for a four-day trip during which both nations are expected to pledge deeper political ties, with a possible visit by President Vladimir Putin to Beijing on the horizon.

The G7 members also welcomed China’s participation in the Ukraine-led meeting in Jeddah and “further encouraged China to support a just and lasting peace, including through its direct dialogue with Ukraine,” the statement said.

Putin met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week in Moscow for talks that included closer military ties, alarming the United States and other western-aligned countries.

Pyongyang and Moscow have denied that North Korea could supply arms to Russia, which has expended vast stocks in more than 18 months of war.

The G7 joint statement did not name any countries, but said its members “reiterated their call on third parties to cease any and all assistance to Russia’s war of aggression or face severe costs.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Moscow:

Moscow and Beijing are closely aligned in their positions on the United States and resolving the Ukraine conflict, the Russian foreign ministry said following talks between their top diplomats on Monday. The statement came after China’s Wang Yi kicked off a four-day visit to Moscow with a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the latest in a series of high-level contacts between the two strategic allies.

“The similarity of the parties’ positions regarding US actions in the international arena, including those of an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese nature, was stated,” Russia’s foreign ministry said.

“The parties discussed in detail the current state of affairs in Ukraine, noting the futility of attempts to resolve the crisis without taking into account Russia’s interests and, all the more so, without Russia’s participation,” it added.

Wang also told Lavrov about the content of talks he held over the weekend with US President Joe Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan, the statement said.

Russia and China frequently tout their “no limits” partnership and economic and military cooperation. 

China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, while offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline as its international isolation deepens.

According to a Chinese state media readout, Wang reiterated Beijing’s position paper on the Ukraine conflict, which called for peace talks but was met with scepticism by the United States and NATO when it was released earlier this year. 

Wang told Lavrov the plan “takes into account the security concerns of all parties and is conducive to eliminating the root causes of the conflict”, according to China’s Xinhua.

“A permanent good-neighbourly friendship, comprehensive strategic cooperation, and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia will continue to contribute to the development and revitalisation of each country,” he added.

During his visit, Wang is due to hold security consultations at the invitation of Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s security council.

President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Moscow in March and declared that relations between the two countries were entering a new era.

An aide to Vladimir Putin said in July that the Russian president was planning to visit China in October.

At the annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last week, Putin told Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing that ties between Russia and China “have reached an absolutely unprecedented, historical level”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

File photo of Cardinal Matteo Zuppi.
| Photo Credit: ap

The Chinese foreign ministry said on September 13 that Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi will visit China for talks on resolving the conflict in Ukraine, despite the lack of formal bilateral ties between Beijing and the Holy See.

China’s Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will meet with Zuppi, Mao Ning, a spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry, told a regular news conference.

“On the issue of Ukraine, China has always been committed to promoting peace talks,” said Mr. Mao. “We are ready to work with all parties and continue to play a constructive role in promoting de-escalation and cooling of the situation.”

Since the Ukraine war broke out in February 2022, China has refrained from condemning its ally Russia, although it has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and a political solution to the crisis.

Hosting a senior Papal envoy is seen as significant, given Beijing’s cool ties with the Vatican.

The Vatican has bilateral relations with democratically governed Taiwan but not China, which claims the island as part of its territory. The Vatican is the only state in Europe to recognise Taipei.

Sino-Vatican ties have also been brittle due to differences over the appointments of bishops in China.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not give details on Zuppi’s schedule or say who he would meet, but Italian newspaper La Repubblica said he was likely to meet “top institutional leaders” in Beijing, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Zuppi will be in China from Wednesday to Friday as part of a diplomatic push to facilitate peace in Ukraine, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

The Italy-born cardinal had already visited Kyiv and Moscow in June and then Washington in July as part of the Holy See’s attempts to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table.

The highest-level official encounter between China and the Vatican was a meeting between Archbishop Paul Gallagher and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in 2020 on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich.