Russian President Putin and Xi Jinping agreed in a video call on Wednesday (December 15) that Russia and China should resolutely reject Western interference and defend each other’s security interests.
Eight days after Putin had conversations with US President Joe Biden in a similar fashion, their conversations emphasized how common hostility towards the West has brought Moscow and Beijing closer together.
“Currently, certain international forces are interfering in the internal affairs of China and Russia under the guise of’democracy’ and’human rights,’ and brutally trampling on international law and the accepted norms of international relations,” the Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency reported. The agency quoted Xi Jinping as saying.
“China and Russia should increase joint efforts to more effectively safeguard the security interests of both parties.”
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Xi Jinping has expressed support to Putin to push him to obtain from the West a security guarantee that is binding on Russia, and that he understands Moscow’s concerns.
He said that the two also expressed their “negative views” on the establishment of new military alliances, such as the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the Indo-Pacific “four nations” of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
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The call emphasized the way Russia and China support each other amid high tensions with the West. China is under pressure on human rights issues, and Russia has been accused of threatening Ukraine.
The Kremlin stated that Putin briefed Xi Jinping on his conversation with Biden, during which the President of the United States warned Russia not to invade Ukraine — Moscow denies it is planning — and Putin made his request for security commitments.
Putin told Xi Jinping: “Our two countries have formed a new cooperation model based on the principles of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and respect for each other’s interests.”
He said he was looking forward to meeting Xi Jinping at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February-the White House said last week that US government officials would boycott the incident because of China’s human rights abuses against Muslims in its western Xinjiang region.
Putin said: “I want to point out that we have always supported each other on issues of international sports cooperation, including rejecting any attempts to politicize sports and the Olympic Movement.”
Putin used Russia’s partnership with China as a way to balance American influence while reaching lucrative deals, especially in energy. This year he and Xi Jinping agreed to extend the 20-year treaty of friendship and cooperation.
The Russian leader stated that bilateral trade increased by 31% in the first 11 months of this year, reaching 123 billion U.S. dollars, and the goal of the two countries is to exceed 200 billion U.S. dollars in the near future.
He said that China is becoming an international center for the production of Russian satellites and light-weight vaccines against COVID-19, and has signed contracts with six manufacturers to produce more than 150 million doses.
