Xi Jinping offers support to Moscow on 'core interests' as Russian PM hails 'unprecedented' ties with China

Even as the West disapproves of the flourishing ties between Russia and China, the two countries on Wednesday further deepened their strategic relationship during a visit by the Russian Prime Minister to Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping also took the opportunity to promise Beijing’s official support for Moscow’s “core interests.”

According to a readout published by China’s Xinhua news agency, President Xi said that the two nations will “continue to provide each other with firm support on issues concerning each other's core interests and strengthen collaboration in multilateral arenas."

Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin is the highest-ranking Russian official visiting Beijing since the conflict in Ukraine started.

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Ties with China at ‘unprecedented high level’: Russian PM

The Russian PM on Tuesday said that despite Western pushback, the ties between China and Russia were at an ‘unprecedented high level.’ The Russian leader also claimed that the two nations will reach the $200 billion annual trade turnover milestone ahead of schedule, an indication of the steep rise in Russia’s economic engagement with China in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The conflict has put the Russian economy under tremendous pressure, making Moscow economically more dependent on China than ever. Moscow is now counting on massive Asian oil markets in China and India to keep its economy up and running even as Western nations further pile sanctions on Russia-affiliated companies.

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"As our Chinese friends say, unity makes it possible to move mountains," the Russian PM said Wednesday. Talking about ties between Russia and China, he added, "They are characterised by mutual respect of each other's interests, the desire to jointly respond to challenges, which is associated with increased turbulence in the international arena and the pressure of illegitimate sanctions from the collective West."

New pacts signed between Russia and China

Several bilateral pacts were signed during the visit of the Russian PM to Beijing. Of many memorandums of understanding signed between the two parties, one was about deepening investment cooperation in trade services. Another pact was about the export of agricultural products to China, along with a separate pact on sports cooperation.

The bilateral trade has boomed between Russia and China since the conflict broke out in Ukraine, and the trend is expected to continue in 2023 as well. As per Reuters, Russia’s energy shipments to China are expected to further rise 40 per cent this year. In April, China’s exports to Russia also hit a record high, jumping 153 per centfrom a year earlier to $9.6 billion.

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Meanwhile, China has also stepped up its engagement with European partners as it seeks to walk a fine line between Moscow and Brussels. Xi recently dispatched his special envoy to Ukraine and other European nations. China has also hosted top EU leaders over the past few months in order to boost economic ties with the EU amidst growing hostility with Washington DC.

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