Team News Riveting
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin swore to support each other on “issues concerning their respective core interests” but the chance of the two powers defending each other militarily remains bleak.
This was their first face-to-face meeting after Russia invaded Ukraine. Putin addressed his Chinese counterpart as “Comrade Xi Jingping, my dear friend” during their reunion on Thursday, while Xi reciprocated by calling Putin his “old friend”, according to the Kremlin’s readout.
The South China Morning Post reported that the two agreed on expanding “pragmatic cooperation”, including in trade, agriculture and connectivity, but left out military cooperation, with Putin acknowledging Beijing’s “questions and concerns” about the Ukraine crisis.
“China is ready to work with Russia in extending strong support to each other on issues concerning their respective core interests,” Xi was quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying, without referring to Ukraine.
Before the Ukraine crisis, China and Russia said their relations had “no limits”.
According to analyst, Xi Jin Ping seems further away from Putin (weak ally from unsuccessful aggression in Ukraine). XIpolitics aims to strenghten its grip on the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation). After all, strategic partnership between China and Russia is founded on mutual distrust.
