Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday pledged “firm support” to China’s “fundamental interests” to visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, France Presse reported, citing Agerpres.

Former rivals during the Cold War, China and Russia have strengthened their diplomatic and trade relations for about a decade, a trend that accelerated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Declaring itself a neutral party to the conflict, Beijing calls for respect for the sovereignty of states, but has never publicly condemned the military campaign launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022 in Ukraine.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who arrived in China on Monday, attended an economic forum in Shanghai on Tuesday before heading to the Chinese capital for meetings with his counterpart Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping.

He is the highest-ranking Russian official to visit China since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Xi Jinping also wants to “strengthen coordination” with Russia in forums such as the United Nations

“China is ready to continue firm mutual support with Russia on issues of fundamental interest to both,” Xi Jinping told his guest, according to Xinhua news agency.

This vague wording is often used in bilateral meetings with representatives of Russia and other countries, referring to the Chinese side of the Taiwan issue.

Xi Jinping also called for “strengthening coordination in multilateral forums such as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and the G20,” according to Xinhua.

For his part, Mykhailo Misustin earlier today hailed bilateral relations at an “unprecedented level” to his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang during a meeting at the monumental People’s Palace in Beijing.

“They are characterized by mutual respect for each other’s interests, the desire to jointly respond to challenges related to increased turbulence in the international arena and the pressure of illegitimate sanctions from the collective West,” he added.

“The scale of investments between the two countries continues to grow”

China is Russia’s number one trading partner, with trade reaching $190 billion (€176 billion) in 2022, according to China Customs.

Li Qiang noted on Tuesday that the value of exchanges had already reached $70 billion (€64 billion) in the first months of this year, representing an annual growth of more than 40%.

“The scale of investments between the two countries continues to grow. Major strategic projects are also steadily progressing,” the Chinese Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction.

Mykhailo Mishustin is accompanied by several high-ranking Russian officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Oleksandr Novak.

China became Russia’s top energy consumer last year, allowing Moscow, which is under Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, to avoid a collapse in gas exports.

Oleksandr Novak said at a forum on Tuesday in Shanghai that the supply of Russian energy resources to China will increase by 40% in 2023, according to Russian news agencies.

Currently, China has an advantage in bilateral relations with Russia, analysts say

According to some analysts, China, given its economic and diplomatic weight, now has the upper hand in bilateral relations with Russia, an imbalance that is growing as Moscow’s international isolation deepens.

The leaders of the two countries “came closer over shared grievances and concerns than over shared goals,” Ryan Hass of the American think tank Brookings Institution commented to AFP.

“They are irritated and feel threatened by Western leadership in the current international system and believe that their countries should be respected more in cases where their interests are at stake,” he says.

In February, the Chinese government published a document calling for a “political settlement” of the conflict in Ukraine and for respecting the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.

During the March summit in Moscow, President Xi Jinping invited his colleague Vladimir Putin to visit Beijing, AFP reminds.

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