President Putin announced that Russia wants to strengthen military cooperation with China during an online meeting with Xi.
“We are aiming to strengthen cooperation between the Russian and Chinese armed forces,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a video conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping on December 30.
“Military and military-technical cooperation have a special place in the entire scope of cooperation as well as the Russia-China relationship, contributing to ensuring the security of our country and maintaining stability in the regions.” essential areas,” Putin said.
Putin also praised the efforts of Russia and China to deal with “unprecedented pressure and provocations from the West,” defending the positions and interests of the two countries and “supporters of the new order.” Democratic world and each nation’s right to determine its destiny”.
“Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, the Russia-China strategic partnership as a stabilizing factor has become increasingly important,” Putin said. “We share a common view on the causes, processes, and logic of changes in global geopolitics.”
President Putin announced that Russia had become one of China’s leading countries in oil exports. Putin said he expected Xi to visit Moscow for a state visit next spring.
Chinese media reported that during his talks with President Putin, Xi said China and Russia “should strengthen strategic coordination to benefit the people of the two countries better and bring more stability to the world.” gender.”
Xi also affirmed that China is ready to resume normal cross-border travel with Russia and other countries in an orderly manner, according to Xinhua.
The Russian and Chinese militaries hold many large-scale drills and exercises. The most recent activity was a live-fire exercise on December 21-27 in the waters off Zhejiang province, China, with the participation of warships and aircraft of the two militaries.
Experts say that Russia and China are drawing closer together in the context of increasing tensions with the West. Many Western officials see the partnership with China as one key factor helping Russia withstand an unprecedented series of sanctions.
According to Chinese customs data, Russia -China trade has grown from $95.3 billion in 2014 to $146.9 billion last year. This year, observers predict that bilateral trade will reach a record $200 billion.
Russia and China have a complex relationship. Historically, the two countries have had a strained relationship, with periods of cooperation and conflict. In recent years, however, Russia and China have been increasingly strengthening their economic and political ties, partly due to the challenges in their relations with the United States.
Both countries are permanent United Nations Security Council members and have frequently worked together to address international issues such as the conflict in Syria. However, they also have competing interests in some areas, such as energy resources and influence in Central Asia.