Frenemies: Wary of Trump, Xi reminds Putin of China’s ‘fidelity’ to Russia!
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Twenty days ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the United States’ 47th President, and his potentially regrowing proximity to President Vladimir Putin, a wary President Xi Jinping has reminded Moscow that China and Russia are “along the right path.”
China and Russia are moving forward hand-in-hand along the “right path” of non-alliance, non-confrontation and their relations have been advancing towards “higher levels,” President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday in his New Year message to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the media reported.
The two leaders exchanged New Year greetings highlighting their burgeoning strategic ties in recent years.
In the face of the accelerated transformation unseen in a century and a volatile international landscape, China and Russia always moved forward hand in hand along the right path of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party,” Xi said in the message.
Putin, in his message, said the two countries have advanced the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era to new heights.
The mutually beneficial cooperation between China’s and Russia’s economy, trade, energy, transportation, science, and technology is progressing in an orderly manner, said the Russian President, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
They exchanged greetings ahead of the January 20 swearing-in of President-elect Donald Trump who has threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese exports to the US, besides hardening American policy towards China, and hinted at a strategic shift of warming up to Putin to end the ongoing Ukraine war.
Since taking power in 2012, President Xi has elevated China’s ties with Russia to a higher level as part of Beijing’s efforts to build strategic alliances to ward off increasing adversity towards China in the US and EU countries.
China followed a guarded policy as it refused to condemn Moscow over Russia’s war in Ukraine even while maintaining ties with Kyiv.
In his message to Putin, Xi recalled their meetings in the last three years in Beijing, Astana, and Kazan apart from their periodic communication through phone calls, exchanges of letters, and other means to reach broad consensus on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern.
The political mutual trust and strategic coordination between the two sides have been advancing toward higher levels under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, Xi said.
Putin said, looking ahead to 2025, he stands ready to maintain close communication with Xi to jointly promote the development of bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, and further strengthen coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, BRICS, the SCO, and the G20.
