Beijing, Sep 2 (AP)—Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin as an “old friend” as they kicked off a series of meetings on Tuesday, amidst overlapping and distinct challenges both countries face from the United States. Relations between China and Russia have intensified in recent years, especially following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Putin addressed Xi as “dear friend” and described Moscow's ties with Beijing as “at an unprecedentedly high level.” After their formal talks, the two planned another meeting with some of their top aides over tea.
The talks come a day after both leaders attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, a nearby Chinese city, and the day prior to a grand Chinese military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of World War II's end. The Soviet Union maintained neutrality for most of the Asian conflict but provided assistance to China during earlier skirmishes with invading Japanese forces in the 1930s. It declared war on Japan in the final days of World War II, dispatching troops into Japanese-occupied northeastern China. “We were always together then, we remain together now,” Putin remarked.
China claims neutrality in the Ukraine war but has sustained Russia economically by continuing trade despite Western sanctions. Some Chinese companies face accusations of aiding the military industry. Prior to their talks, Putin and Xi held a three-way meeting with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa. Mongolia, a landlocked country rich in grasslands and mineral mines, sits between the two global giants. Putin, in his opening remarks, stated that the three nations are good neighbors, with shared interests in fortifying their ties. “Our three countries have much in common,” he stated.
In 2024, Putin made an official visit to Mongolia, where the government ignored calls to arrest him on an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes stemming from the Ukraine invasion. (AP) GRS GRS
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