Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping signed a joint declaration following their meeting in Beijing, focusing on building a “multipolar world and a new type of international relations”. The two countries also announced a large package of deals solidifying bilateral cooperation.
The meeting came just days after US President Donald Trump completed his own visit to China for a two-day summit with Xi. Statements from Beijing and Moscow outline positions on five key issues following the Russia-China summit.
On Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said: “The two countries will also issue a joint statement on advocating for a multipolar world and a new type of international relations.” Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described this declaration as a 47-page policy document.
A “multipolar world” is understood as one where economic, military and diplomatic power are held by three or more countries, rather than one or two. Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu reported from Beijing: “Xi is calling for a more multipolar world, where the US has less power and influence.”
Both Putin and Xi have spoken out against the “unipolar” hegemony they claim the US exerts over the world. In 2022, shortly after Russia’s war with Ukraine began, Putin accused the US of stoking hostilities in Ukraine to maintain its global influence.
A Kremlin press statement said relations between Russia and China had reached “a truly unprecedented level and continue to develop”. The Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said: “Both sides should follow the trend of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results.”
The statements noted that bilateral cooperation extends to economics, sports, education and media. The Kremlin said Beijing and Moscow had signed around 40 intergovernmental, interagency and corporate documents, many focusing on deepening economic cooperation.
Last year, trade between the two countries reached almost $240 billion, while the Chinese statement said bilateral trade grew by 20% in the first four months of this year. Since the war in Ukraine began, Russia has become increasingly reliant on Chinese technology and manufacturing.
The Kremlin statement said nearly all import-export transactions between Russia and China are in roubles and yuan. “In other words, we have actually created a stable system of mutual trade that is protected from external influence and negative trends in the global markets,” it said.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that an understanding had been reached for the route and construction of the long-delayed joint Siberia 2 pipeline, but details are still being negotiated. The pipeline will transport 50 billion cubic metres of Russian gas annually to China via Mongolia.
Both statements said Xi and Putin agreed to expand student exchange programmes and cooperation between universities and research platforms.
Source: www.aljazeera.com