Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday held a virtual meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, ahead of the centennial celebrations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on July 1 that coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Russia-China Treaty on ‘Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.’
A joint statement on the Xi-Putin virtual summit stated that China and Russia agreed to extend the Treaty on ‘Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.’
Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that the “China-Russia cooperation injects positive momentum to the international community when the world is undergoing profound changes and humanity is encountering multiple crises in development. China-Russia cooperation sets an example for a new type of international relations.” “The Treaty aligns with both countries’ fundamental interests, echoes the themes of the times for peace and development, and is a vivid example of building a new type of international relations and community with a shared future for humanity,” Xi added.
In response, Putin showered praise on the CPC on its milestone centenary year and said that the Russian people place great value on the exchanges and interactions with the party and hope to develop and preserve this relationship. In addition, he wished the CPC leadership well and hoped that “China breaks new ground in social development and have a more vital role to play in handling international affairs.”
The virtual summit is the second interaction between the two leaders in the last six weeks. They last met virtually on May 19 at the groundbreaking ceremony of a bilateral nuclear energy cooperation project.
As reported by the state-sponsored Global Times, analysts in China say that “the frequent interactions between top leaders of the two countries showed deepening mutual trust and delivered a heavy blow to Western attempts to split China-Russia friendship.” The past several years have marked a period of intensified cooperation between Moscow and Beijing as the two global powers face common tensions with the United States. The two countries have also developed economic, military, and energy ties while supporting each other on several issues, especially criticism from the West.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi commented that the Treaty heralded a new type of significant power relationship between China and Russia in the past 20 years. Wang said: “The two sides have always taken mutual support as the fundamental way to get along with each other, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation as the core principle of cooperation, China-Russia friendship as the most precious thing to be passed on from generation to generation, and safeguarding peace as their unshakable international responsibility.”
Against the backdrop of the European Union’s economic sanctions on Russia and the recent UK-Russia fiasco over the Black Sea warship, the Xi-Putin interaction depicts a strong bonhomie between the two nations on global issues and sends a strong signal to the West.
Putin and Xi meet, Extend 20-Year Russia-China Friendship Treaty
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin met virtually on Monday for the second time in a month and agreed to extend the ‘Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.’
June 30, 2021
SOURCE: ABC NEWS