Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Kazan, Russia, on Tuesday to attend the BRICS summit, which will run from October 22 to 24. Xi is expected to hold his 45th meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the summit.
Chinese media, including Xin Jing Bao, reported that Xi arrived in Russia at Putin’s invitation and was accompanied by key officials such as Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister and head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission. This summit marks another significant moment in the deepening China-Russia relationship, with both leaders expected to discuss a range of bilateral, international, and regional issues.
Regarding this meeting, Zhang Hanhui, the Chinese ambassador to Russia, stated, “The two countries have maintained communication and coordinated positions on major international and regional issues, actively cooperating and closely aligning on hot topics such as human rights, global governance, and regional conflicts.” He stressed that “The China-Russia partnership not only provides strong support for the revitalization and development of both sides but also plays an important role in maintaining the balance of international strategic power and ensuring regional and global peace and stability.”
He further noted that President Xi and President Putin have met 44 times, making Putin the world leader who has met Xi the most frequently. He emphasized that the diplomacy between the two heads of state plays a crucial and decisive role in shaping the direction of their bilateral relations. This meeting is especially significant as it comes in the wake of revelations about North Korea’s possible involvement in the Ukraine war, prompting speculation about whether this issue will be addressed during their discussions.
As expected, Chinese authorities have remained largely silent regarding rumors of North Korean troop deployments to Russia. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, provided only a general response during a briefing on Monday, stating, “On the situation on the Korean Peninsula, we hope that relevant parties will face squarely the crux of the Korean Peninsula issue and play a constructive role for deescalating tensions, advancing dialogue and upholding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
China and Russia have been steadily strengthening their partnership, often in response to shared challenges the United States and other Western nations posed. Xi’s visit to Russia and attendance at the BRICS summit can be seen as part of this effort. It can be assumed that the two countries’ relationship has reached an almost alliance-like status.
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