According to an English-language version of the joint statement released by the Kremlin, the two countries “believe that certain States, military and political alliances and coalitions seek to obtain, directly or indirectly, unilateral military advantages to the detriment of the security of others.”
Russia and China also “oppose further enlargement of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon its ideologized cold war approaches, to respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries, the diversity of their civilizational, cultural and historical backgrounds, and to exercise a fair and objective attitude towards the peaceful development of other States,” the Kremlin statement said.
A readout from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the two leaders “had an in-depth and thorough exchange of views on China-Russia relations and a series of major issues concerning international strategic security and stability” but made no direct mention of NATO.
MOFA described the meeting as taking place in a “warm and friendly atmosphere” and said Xi was ready to work with Putin to “transform the high-level mutual trust between the two countries into outcomes of cooperation across the board.”
“Xi stressed that in the face of profound and complex changes in the international situation, China and Russia are committed to deepening back-to-back strategic coordination and upholding international fairness and justice side by side,” the MOFA readout said. “This is a strategic choice that will have a far-reaching impact on both China and Russia and the world at large.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov similarly described the summit as “a very warm, constructive meeting of partners and allies,” in a conference call with reporters. “At the same time, [it was] very substantive,” he said.
According to Peskov, Putin and Xi mainly discussed bilateral relations and trade partnership, but topics on the international agenda were also raised.
Following the expanded talks, the two leaders headed to a working one-on-one lunch to “dwell in detail on international issues, security guarantees, regional problems, etc.,” Peskov added.
Putin is among a small group of world leaders to attend the Games, with Western governments, including the United States, Britain and Australia, having declared a diplomatic boycott over China’s human rights record. Other leaders have turned down invitations citing Beijing’s stringent Covid-19 controls.
His summit with Xi comes as the massing of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine fuels fears of an imminent invasion and amid warnings from the West that any…
Read More: Putin and Xi call for halt to NATO expansion, Kremlin says, in show of