16 May 2024 – 18:16
President Xi Jinping: Meeting the press with Russian President Putin
On the afternoon of May 16, 2024, President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly met the press after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
President Xi Jinping noted that President Putin’s state visit to China is his first visit abroad since starting a new presidential term. It speaks to the high importance that President Putin and the Russian side attach to the relationship. President Xi extended a warm welcome to President Putin.
President Xi Jinping said that he and President Putin had just concluded a sincere and cordial meeting covering many topics. They had a comprehensive review of the successful experience in developing the China-Russia relationship over the past 75 years since establishing diplomatic ties, had an in-depth exchange of views on the relationship and on major international and regional issues of mutual interest, and charted the course forward for Sino-Russian relations and cooperation across the board. They also signed and issued the Joint Statement of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era in the Context of the 75th Anniversary of China-Russia Diplomatic Relations, and witnessed the signing of a number of important intergovernmental and interagency cooperation documents, which inject new, strong impetus into the sound development of China-Russia relations.
President Xi Jinping stressed that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. In the past three quarters of a century, the China-Russia relationship has grown stronger amidst wind and rain. Since entering the new era, the relationship has been further elevated, cooperation increasingly enriched, and lasting friendship taking deeper root in the heart of the two peoples. The China-Russia relationship has become a prime example of a new form of international relations as well as good-neighborly relations between two major countries. The notable progress in China-Russia relations is attributable to the two countries’ commitment to five principles.
- First, China and Russia are committed to mutual respect as the fundamental principle of relations, and always render support for each other’s core interests. The two Presidents agree that the key to the two countries’ finding a new path to growing relations between major and neighboring countries lies in mutual respect and equality as well as steadfast mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns. This is central to the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era. The two sides will uphold the principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party, continue to deepen two-way political trust, respect each other’s choice of development path, and realize development and revitalization with each other’s firm support.
- Second, China and Russia are committed to win-win cooperation as the driving force of relations, and work to foster a new paradigm of mutual benefit. Last year, two-way trade exceeded US$240 billion, close to 2.7 times of that of a decade ago. This is a good indication of the all-round cooperation of mutual benefit that continues to deepen between the two countries. The Presidents agree that the two countries need to look for areas where their interests converge, tap into their comparative strengths, deepen the integration of interests, and enable each other’s success. The two countries need to make further structural improvements to their cooperation, consolidate the good momentum in trade and other traditional areas of cooperation, support the formation of platforms and networks for basic research, continue to unlock cooperation potential in frontier areas, step up cooperation on ports, transportation and logistics, and help keep the global industrial and supply chains stable.
- Third, China and Russia are committed to lasting friendship as the foundation of relations, and carry forward the torch of Sino-Russian friendship. Both China and Russia have a time-honored history and a splendid culture. Works of Pushkin and Tolstoy are household names in China, and Peking Opera and Tai Chi are much loved by the Russian people. By focusing on implementing the Roadmap for China-Russia Cooperation on People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges Before 2030, the two countries are expanding people-to-people and cultural ties. The two Presidents have set 2024 and 2025 as China-Russia Years of Culture, proposed a series of cultural activities that are down to earth, close to people’s hearts and popular among them, and encouraged closer interactions between various sectors and at subnational levels, so as to enhance mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples.
- Fourth, China and Russia are committed to strategic coordination as an underpinning of relations, and steer global governance in the right direction. The two countries are firmly committed to safeguarding the U.N.-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. They stay in close coordination and collaboration in multilateral platforms such as the U.N., APEC and G20, and advance multipolarity and economic globalization in the spirit of true multilateralism. With Russia chairing BRICS this year and China taking over the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization later this year, the two sides will support each other’s chairmanship, build a high-quality partnership that is more comprehensive, close, practical and inclusive, and build the unity and strength of the Global South.
- Fifth, China and Russia are committed to fairness and justice as the purpose of relations, and dedicated to the political settlement of hotspots. Cold War mentality still exists, and unilateralism, hegemonism, bloc confrontation and power politics threaten world peace and the security of all countries. The two Presidents are of the view that it is urgent to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. U.N. resolutions must be earnestly implemented and the question of Palestine must be solved on the basis of the two-State solution. The two sides believe that a political settlement is the right way forward for the Ukraine crisis. China’s position on this issue is consistent and clear, including observing the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, respecting the legitimate security concerns of all parties, and building a new security architecture that is balanced, effective and sustainable. China hopes that peace and stability will return to the European continent at an early date, and stands ready to play a constructive role to this end.
President Xi pointed out that as a Chinese saying goes, “A mountain is formed by accumulation of soil and an ocean is formed by accumulation of water.” After 75 years of solid accumulation, lasting friendship and all-round cooperation between China and Russia provide a strong impetus for the two countries to forge ahead despite wind and rain. Having reached a new starting point, China and Russia will always remain committed to their founding purpose and jointly shoulder responsibility to create more benefits for their peoples and make due contribution to global security and stability.
Source – Foreign Ministry of China
Russian President Vladimir Putin: Answers to media questions following the visit to China
Vladimir Putin replied to questions from Russian media representatives on the outcomes of his two-day state visit to the People’s Republic of China.
Question: It would not be an exaggeration to say that the whole world watched your visit here, as evidenced by a spate of news reports and publications. It is clear that the future of the rapidly changing world largely depends on the positions of Russia and China. Following your talks in China, we would like to know whether Moscow and Beijing have a shared understanding of how the future system of international security and politics should evolve.
Vladimir Putin: First of all, I would like to thank President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and the leadership of China for this invitation and for creating a very favourable and warm atmosphere for our joint work.
On the whole, the talks were very meaningful and very substantive.
This was an official state visit, but it was also very much a working trip. From morning until evening, we spent virtually the entire day with the President of China and his colleagues. We raised multiple issues for discussion.
You said that the future depends on Russia and China, but this is only partly true. The future of humankind depends on the whole of humanity. Certainly, Russia and China are important components of modern civilisation. We have our own views on how we should develop. Certainly, our advancement will influence the advancement of all partners on the planet.
We believe that development should be constructive and peaceful, no doubt about it. Apart from our interests, it should heed the interests of all parties to international interaction.
Of course, it is necessary to strengthen the emerging multipolar world. There is absolutely no doubt that a new world is taking shape before our eyes and becoming multipolar. I believe all the people are aware of this. It is important that those who are trying to maintain their monopoly on making decisions on all issues globally should realise this (I believe that they do realise it perfectly well). Understanding this, they should do everything possible to facilitate this natural process. I repeat, this process should be peaceful and conflict-free, with the opinions of all parties to the international process fully considered. All of us should seek compromises while making the difficult decisions that lie ahead.
We are committed to this approach and to precisely this kind of work. I have discussed this repeatedly, and the President of China has also emphasised this: our interaction, cooperation and strategic partnership with China, Russia-China partnership, is not directed against anyone. Our aim is solely to create better conditions for the development of our countries to improve the well-being of the peoples of China and the Russian Federation.
Question: How did your informal meeting with Xi Jinping go? Your aide said it took place in a super-narrow format but was attended by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu. Did you discuss Ukraine? What would you personally consider convincing evidence of Ukraine’s readiness for talks? Earlier both you and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov repeatedly said that the Western partners could no longer be trusted.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, this meeting took place in the narrow format. We really discussed many issues that are important for bilateral relations.
We discussed the issue of settling the Ukrainian crisis. The President of the PRC told me the main theses of what he discussed during his recent visit to Europe. He set forth his position linked with Chinese peace initiatives. We have said more than once that we believe that China is sincerely striving to settle this problem. It offers different options and is very flexible. I believe it is sincerely striving to resolve this problem. We discussed this at some length.
As for our counter partners, let’s say in this case these are Ukrainian leaders and their European and overseas bosses. Well, we have spoken about this many times.
When our troops stood near Kiev, our Western partners told us: it is impossible to sign documents when the other side puts a gun to your temple. “What should be done?” we asked. “It is necessary to withdraw troops from Kiev.” We did this. On the following day, they threw all our agreements into the dustbin and said: “Now we will fight to the end.” Their Western curators occupied the position that is now known to the whole world – to defeat Russia on the battlefield, to inflict a strategic defeat on it.
It wasn’t us who behaved in this way. These were our partners. Ukrainian officials confirmed this, in particular, the head of the Ukrainian delegation at the talks in Minsk and later in Istanbul, said this. The then Prime Minister [of Great Britain] Mr Johnson came to Kiev and advised Ukraine to continue hostilities. Mr Arakhamia, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, who now leads the ruling parliamentary party in Ukrainian parliament, said that otherwise all hostilities would have been ended a year and a half ago. He said this in public, I believe, at his meeting with journalists. Nobody actually had doubts about this.
So, let’s sum up this part of my answer to your question – we were cheated again. Now we need to understand whom and how we should deal with, whom we should trust and to what extent.
Of course, we are analysing now everything that is taking place in this regard. Of course, we are looking at what is happening around the universally announced meeting in Switzerland, in Geneva. I believe this is the venue of the meeting. We are certainly not going to discuss any formulas about which we know absolutely nothing.
But as distinct from Ukraine, we have never rejected talks. It is they who have quit the negotiating process. They announced that they are going to inflict a strategic defeat on us. It is they who said they were “going to fight to the end,” actually not to the end but to the last Ukrainian. They did everything with their own hands.
We have a foundation for the negotiating process – what we agreed on in Istanbul and a signature of the head of the Ukrainian delegation under an excerpt from this large document. He initialed it. We have this document with his signature on it. What are these other additional terms about which we have never heard and know nothing?
The goal of this event is clear. They want to gather as many countries as possible, declare that everything has been agreed upon with everyone and then present it to Russia as a resolved issue, as an ultimatum. This will never happen.
To be continued.
Source – Russian Kremlin