Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin praised bilateral cooperation today, hours before the arrival of the Chinese President in Moscow for a summit meeting with his Russian counterpart.

The three-day official visit to Russia, a country with which China has important diplomatic and economic ties, is Xi’s first visit to Moscow in almost four years.

In an article published in the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Xi called his visit “a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace” at a time when the West is wary of Sino-Russian relations.

“I look forward to working with President Putin to jointly adopt a new vision” of bilateral relations.

Following a diplomatic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, China wants to mediate a war between Russia and Ukraine and is calling for peace talks between Kiev and Moscow.

In an article published today in a Chinese newspaper, Putin hails “China’s desire to play a constructive role in resolving” the crisis and believes that “Sino-Russian relations have reached the best stage in their history.”

Xi’s visit comes days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, charging him with war crimes for “illegally deporting” children from Ukraine to Russia.

“To determine the world order”

The visit of the Chinese president to Moscow also provides an opportunity for Putin, who is in diplomatic isolation, to get some oxygen.

Xi often refers to the Russian president as an “old friend.”

United by the “borderless” partnership they celebrated last year three weeks before the start of the Russian invasion, Beijing and Moscow have drawn even closer in recent years, mainly to create a common front against the West.

China has not publicly condemned the Russian invasion, criticizing the US for supplying weapons to Ukraine and NATO for ignoring Russia’s security concerns.

Beijing calls for dialogue, as well as respect for the territorial integrity of all countries. “No single country should determine the world order,” Xi stressed in an article published today.

“China has always stood for an objective and impartial position based on the essence of the problem, and has actively encouraged peace negotiations,” he added.

A stance that many Western countries consider too lukewarm, that China indirectly supports the Russian invasion.

Xi and Putin will have their first “informal” meeting before dinner tonight, and will hold talks tomorrow, Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Usakov said.

He added that the leaders of the two countries will sign “a joint statement (…) to deepen their close partnership and usher in a new era of their strategic relationship”, as well as a document that will deal with bilateral economic cooperation with a horizon up to 2030.

Source: AFP, APE-MPE.