Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke via video call today.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin wants to increase economic and military cooperation between Russia and China in response to “Western pressure and provocation”.
Putin discussed the Chinese leader on Friday Xi Jinping with in a video call. The topic of the meeting was bilateral and regional issues.
In the talks, Putin praised China’s military might, called the Chinese president a friend and welcomed him on a state visit to Moscow in the spring.
The countries are united by opposition to the West
Due to Western sanctions, Russia has started looking for new trade partners in Asia. China benefits from economic cooperation with Russia, among other things, because it can get cheap energy from Russia.
However, the war of aggression started by Russia in Ukraine makes the situation difficult.
China has not directly condemned Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, but has called for peace between the parties.
In Friday’s talks, President Xi Jinping said that China is ready to increase strategic cooperation with Russia in the current “difficult” world situation.
Russia’s Putin, on the other hand, praised the Chinese leader, saying that China is making enormous efforts to counter Western pressure and provocation.
Military cooperation on wallpaper
According to the Kremlin, China and Russia aim to strengthen military cooperation.
– Due to growing geopolitical tensions, the importance of the partnership between Russia and China as a factor increasing stability is increasing, Putin reasoned.
Among other things, the possible expansion of the military alliance NATO has driven Russia to ever closer military cooperation with its allies.
Russia has intensified military cooperation with its closest allies, such as Belarus and Iran. Now it is trying the same with China.
Earlier in December, the countries participated in joint military exercises in the Pacific region.
China’s CCTV reported that Xi told Putin that China is ready to cooperate with Russia “in the name of stability”.
– China is ready to cooperate with Russia to fight the development of a unipolar world, protectionism and bullying, Chinese CCTV reports.
Sources: AFP, Reuters