China’s President Xi Maintains Beijing-Moscow Relations Remain Strong in a Turbulent World

Dec. 15, 2021 (EIRNS)—Talking with President Putin by video hook-up on December 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that the world has entered “a period of turbulent change.” Nevertheless, he said “Sino-Russian relations have withstood the tests of various storms and demonstrated new vitality.” The volume of Sino-Russian trade has reached a new high, over $100 billion for the first three quarters of the year. Xi noted the successful conclusion of the “China-Russia Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation” with a series of large strategic projects successfully implemented and the smooth development of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union.

He expressed his pleasure at hosting President Putin next year for the Beijing Winter Olympics. He said that the two countries must continue to raise “a louder voice in global governance” to assert “fairness and justice” in order to “resolutely oppose hegemonic behavior and Cold War mentality under the cloak of “multilateralism” and “rules” “ which is being perpetrated by the Biden Administration. He noted that under the guise of “democracy,” “certain international forces are arbitrarily interfering in the internal affairs of China and Russia” and “brutally trampling on international law.” The two countries should therefore strengthen their coordination and cooperation to safeguard their security interests. “China will, as always,“ he said, “ firmly support Russia’s efforts to maintain the country’s long-term stability.” Xi also pointed to his recent proposal at the UN for a Global Development Initiative as an example of “improving global governance and advancing the cause of global development.” He said that whether a country is democratic or not can only be judged by its own people.

Xi underlined that the two countries should continue cooperation in the development of frontier science and technology and should consolidate their energy cooperation, including developing a package of cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. He noted the strategic cooperation between the two countries working together in the SCO and in the BRICS cooperation format, as well as in the UN. He said he wished to maintain close communication with Russia in the attempt to get the five UN permanent members of the Security Council to strengthen coordination on deepening anti-epidemic cooperation, maintaining international peace and security, and promoting economic recovery.