Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow on Monday
on a "peace visit"
after Beijing recently launched an initiative to settle the conflict between the Russians and Ukrainians.
As reported by the Kremlin on Friday, Xi will meet on Monday for an informal lunch with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin,
with whom he will hold negotiations on Tuesday.
Putin and Xi, who have had tense relations with the United States in recent months, will hold a press conference after their talks.
The head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi,
presented the initiative a month ago in the Kremlin
after doing the same with Kiev and European countries.
The Kremlin sees the Chinese leader's visit as a boost amid the increasing isolation the West has subjected Russia to since the start of fighting in Ukraine in February 2022.
Xi Jinping would also speak with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky.
AFP photo
peace in ukraine
Regarding Ukraine, the Chinese authorities assured that the Asian giant seeks to play
"a constructive role in promoting peace talks"
.
China has not detailed its president's agenda and last Friday limited itself to commenting that the visit "will be about friendship" and that "it aims to deepen mutual trust" between both parties.
Beyond "pragmatic cooperation" and efforts to "jointly safeguard the stability of the industrial chain" and "inject more positive energy into the world economic recovery", eyes will be on whether Beijing can and is willing to play
a more proactive role as mediator.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine.
AFP photo
China, which insists that it has always maintained "an objective and impartial position" on the war, would seek to intercede after doing the same between Iran and Saudi Arabia so that both countries reestablish diplomatic relations.
"Expectations that Beijing will play a more active role have risen after that latest mediation. But the truth is that the resolution of the Ukraine conflict is beyond China's willingness or ability. It depends on Russia
and Ukraine,"
Fudan University academic Feng Yujun told the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong.
with Zelensky
Before Xi's trip, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang held a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitro Kuleba, in the early hours of Thursday, in which he assured that China will try to help "a cessation of hostilities
,
relief of the crisis and the restoration of peace between Ukraine and Russia".
Xi has not yet communicated with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodimir Zelenski, as the US media had announced, although kyiv is already preparing said videoconference.
What's more, the visit comes after CNN assured that Ukrainian soldiers have found in their territory the remains of what is apparently a civilian-use drone manufactured by a Chinese company or that POLITICO denounced that Chinese companies, including one "connected
with the Beijing government"
, sent Russian entities 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment that could be used for military purposes.
China has denied on several occasions that it has sold weapons to either side, and has assured that it is the United States that has been "adding fuel to the fire" to "stir up" the conflict.
Three weeks before the war began, Xi and Putin strengthened their ties, although China says that the close relations between Beijing and Moscow
"do not threaten any country"
and that, in fact, "advance the multipolarization of the world."
Strategic partners
Thus, the visit, according to the Chinese foreign spokespersons, will also deal with issues such as promoting "connectivity" based on the projects of the New Silk Roads and the Eurasian Economic Union.
In this sense, the Kremlin has announced that the visit will lead to the signing of "a significant number" of bilateral agreements.
China was one of the countries that abstained from voting on a resolution condemning the Russian invasion in the UN Assembly, and although it has not explicitly supported Moscow, it has opposed sanctions against Russia because "it does
not solve problems."
The Asian country recently issued a statement on what it calls the "conflict" in Ukraine in which it defends respect for the sovereignty of all countries, the abandonment of the "cold war mentality" and a ceasefire.
He also called for "moderation" to "prevent the situation from getting out of control" and leading to a nuclear conflict, a proposal criticized by the West for putting "the aggressor and the victimized" on the same level.
Source: EFE
bp
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