Chinese language President Xi Jinping will go to Russia from March 20 to 22, the Chinese language international ministry and the Kremlin introduced on Friday — a month after Beijing floated a 12-point peace plan in an try to finish the battle triggered by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The announcement of the go to comes a day after China’s international minister, Qin Gang, known as for peace talks throughout a cellphone dialog along with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba.
Beijing has up to now refused to explain Moscow’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine as an invasion and as a substitute blamed the US and NATO for upsetting Moscow.
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“Chinese language President Xi Jinping pays a state go to to Russia from March 20 to 22 on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Chinese language international ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying introduced on Friday.
In Moscow, the information company Related Press quoted a press release issued by the Kremlin which introduced that Xi and Putin would talk about “problems with additional improvement of complete partnership and strategic interplay between Russia and China”, and change views “within the context of deepening Russian-Chinese language cooperation within the worldwide enviornment”.
Whereas officers in Beijing and Moscow mentioned Xi’s go to might be about peace and cooperation, it’s clearly a present of China’s unequivocal assist for Russia in a battle, which has divided the world into broadly two camps.
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“China’s proposition boils down to at least one sentence, which is to induce peace and promote talks,” international ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin mentioned. “Chinese language President Xi Jinping’s upcoming go to to Russia might be a visit of friendship, cooperation and peace,” he added.
It would even be Xi’s first international journey after securing a norm-breaking third-term as China’s president earlier this month, one other certain signal of shut ties between Beijing and Moscow.
China and Russia introduced a “no limits” partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, simply days earlier than the Russian military invaded Ukraine, triggering the largest battle seen in Europe since World Struggle 2, and which has now lasted for over a yr.
Xi can have an in depth dialogue with Putin concerning the “most urgent international and regional points”, Wang mentioned.
China is worried concerning the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and the scenario spiralling uncontrolled, Qin instructed Kuleba on Thursday night amid hypothesis that Xi can also be prone to quickly communicate with Ukrainian chief, Volodymyr Zelensky.
“We hope that Russia and Ukraine will preserve hope for dialogue and negotiation, and won’t shut the door to a political resolution, irrespective of how troublesome and difficult it’s. China will proceed to play a constructive function for a ceasefire to cease the conflict, ease the disaster and restore peace,” Qin mentioned.
Information company AFP mentioned Xi final visited Russia in 2019, whereas Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing final yr. The 2 leaders additionally met at a regional safety gathering in Uzbekistan in September.
Forward of the assembly, US mentioned it will oppose a name for cease-fire in Ukraine as “ratification of Russian conquest”, AP reported.
In Washington on Friday, White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson John Kirby mentioned, “A ceasefire now’s, once more, successfully the ratification of Russian conquest.” It could, he added, “in impact acknowledge Russia’s features and its try to beat its neighbor’s territory by drive, permitting Russian troops to proceed to occupy sovereign Ukrainian territory.”
A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned Britain would welcome any real effort by China aimed toward “restoring sovereignty to Ukraine”. “Any peace deal which isn’t predicated on Ukraine’s sovereignty and self-determination isn’t a peace deal in any respect,” Sunak’s spokesman Jamie Davies mentioned.