This week's meeting follows the ICC announcement Friday of charges that Putin is personally responsible for the abductions of thousands of children from Ukraine. But it has avoided doing anything visible that crosses the red lines laid down by Washington and European governments in regard to financial sanctions and the provision of military aid. Xi's government has been stepping up efforts to intimidate the island by flying fighter jets nearby and firing missiles into the sea.Ĭhina has stepped up purchases of Russian oil and gas, helping to top up the Kremlin's revenue in the face of Western sanctions. The Communist Party says the self-ruled island democracy, which split with China in 1949 after a civil war, is obliged to unite with the mainland, by force if necessary. Some commentators draw a parallel between Russia's claims to Ukrainian territory and Beijing's claim to Taiwan. “China can signal that it could even do more to help Russia, and that if relations with the United States continue to deteriorate, they could do a lot more to enable Russia and help Russia in its war against Ukraine,” Torigian said.īeijing's relations with Washington, Europe and its neighbors are strained by disputes over technology, security, human rights and the ruling Communist Party's treatment of Hong Kong and Muslim minorities. The meeting gives Putin and Xi a chance to show they have “powerful partners” at a time of strained relations with Washington, said Joseph Torigian, an expert in Chinese-Russian relations at American University in Washington.
The Russian government said Xi was due to arrive at midday and meet later with Putin.Īhead of the meeting, China's foreign ministry called on the ICC to “respect the jurisdictional immunity” of a head of state and “avoid politicization and double standards.”Ĭhina looks to Russia as a source of oil and gas for its energy-hungry economy and as a partner in opposing what both see as American domination of global affairs. The Chinese government said Xi would visit Moscow from Monday to Wednesday but gave no indication whether he had left.
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