Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping
Photo credit: Russian Embassy in Pretoria
22 March 2023
In his statement following the Russian-Chinese talks, President Vladimir Putin’s said the Russian-Chinese relations are at the highest level in all our history, offering a model of a genuine comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation.
When discussing topical international and regional problems, the President and I affirmed that Russia and China’s views on them are identical or very close.
Russia and China strongly oppose any state or bloc seeking to harm the legitimate interests of any other country in order to obtain military, political, and economic advantages.
Of course, we did not ignore developments around Ukraine. We believe that many of the provisions of the peace plan put forward by China are consonant with Russian approaches and can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when the West and Kiev are ready for it. However, so far, we have not seen such readiness on their part.
It seems that the West really has decided to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian – no longer in words, but in deeds. But in this regard, I would like to note that if all this comes to pass, then Russia will have to respond accordingly. What I mean is that the collective West is already starting to use weapons with a nuclear component.
We jointly work to create a more just and democratic multipolar world order.
Of course, trade and economic cooperation remain a priority for us, considering that China has solidly established itself as the leading foreign trade partner for our country. Last year, trade increased by 30 percent to set a new record of $185 billion.
As of the end of the first three quarters of 2022, the share of the ruble and yuan in mutual commercial transactions reached 65 percent and continues to grow.
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Source: Russian Embassy in the Republic of South Africa