Putin meets with President Xi: Happy to be among trusted friends and partners

2024-05-16 08:24:57Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Putin meets with President Xi: Happy to be among trusted friends and partners

Putin and Xi shook hands in a welcoming ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing after Putin's arrival in China.

Members of the People's Liberation Army stood at attention as the military fired a gun salute during the ceremony.

Putin, Xi and other senior officials are expected to hold meetings later that will emphasize their commitment to a "borderless" relationship.

The national anthems of both countries played in the background as the two leaders met, as dozens of large Russian and Chinese flags waved around Tiananmen Square amid police patrols.

Putin and Xi have met over 40 times; the Chinese president last traveled to Moscow in March 2023, while Putin went to Beijing in October for a summit of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Later, the two leaders will attend a gala celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union's recognition of the People's Republic of China, which Mao Zedong proclaimed in 1949.

During the meeting with Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin said that Russia-China cooperation is not directed against any other power and is a stabilizing factor for the world.

"It is of crucial importance that the relations between Russia and China are not opportunistic and are not directed against anyone. Our cooperation in world affairs today acts as one of the main stabilizing factors in the international arena," Putin said.

Putin said he was happy to be in China among friends.

"In our new journey we intend to remain good neighbors, reliable friends and reliable partners, continuously strengthening the relationship between our two nations ... protecting international equality," he said.

Russia has become increasingly economically dependent on China, as Western sanctions imposed after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine cut off its access to much of the international trading system.


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