Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping rev up relations

Russian President praises ‘good old friend’ Xi Jinping’s ‘well-balanced’ position on Ukraine invasion as he welcomed Xi on his visit to Moscow.

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past honour guards during a welcoming ceremony at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Monday. Picture: AFP

Vladimir Putin praised his “good old friend” Xi Jinping’s “well-balanced” position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as the Russian President declared their relationship was “without limitations” when he welcomed the Chinese leader for a three-day visit to Moscow.

In an article published in the People’s Daily, the communist party’s flagship newspaper, Mr Putin on Monday said Russia-China relations had reached “the highest level in their history” and were “gaining ever more strength”.

“They surpass Cold War-time military-political alliances in their quality, with no one to constantly order and no one to constantly obey, without limitations or ­taboos,” the Russian leader wrote.

The piece was published hours before China’s leader landed in Moscow, Mr Xi’s first international trip since he secured an unprecedented third-term as President.

Mr Xi was greeted on a red carpet by a military brass band and by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

“In a world of volatility and transformation, China will continue to work with Russia to safeguard the international system with the UN at its core,” the Chinese President said.

The strongman leaders’ summit comes days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader over the forced deportation of children from Ukraine.

It follows a trip by Mr Putin to the fallen Ukraine city of Mariupol at the weekend, his first visit to territory captured since the start of Moscow’s invasion. Hours earlier, Mr Putin visited Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the peninsula’s annexation.

In his People’s Daily article, Mr Putin thanked the Chinese leader for Beijing’s “well-balanced stance on the events in Ukraine” and said the two countries were both victims of US-led containment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during an earlier meeting.

“The crisis in Ukraine, which was provoked and is being diligently fuelled by the West, is the most striking, yet not the only, manifestation of its desire to retain its international dominance and preserve the unipolar world order,” he said. “It is crystal clear that NATO is striving for a global reach of activities and seeking to penetrate the Asia-Pacific.”

Last week, Russia’s Foreign Minister said the AUKUS submarine deal showed America, the UK and Australia were preparing for “many years of confrontation” in the Indo-Pacific.

Mr Xi reciprocated with a letter to Mr Putin and the Russian people, which was also published on Monday in the Kremlin-controlled Russian Gazette. “My upcoming visit to Russia will be a journey of friendship, co-operation and peace,” he declared.

He said his country and Russia “have had close co-ordination on the international stage and fulfilled our responsibilities as major countries”. “China and Russia are firmly committed to safeguarding the UN-centred international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,” Mr Xi said.

Mr Xi was scheduled to have a private meal with Mr Putin late on Monday, their third in-person meeting in 13 months. On Tuesday, the two leaders will be joined by large Chinese and Russian delegations for further discussions.

Mr Xi has declined to speak to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky since Russia’s invasion in February last year, but there are unconfirmed reports he may speak over the phone this week.

Vladimir Putin drives around the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol with Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin on Sunday night.

Beijing last month released a series of proposals for peace in Ukraine, which were dismissed by many as vague and contradictory. In his article in the Russian ­Gazette, Mr Xi defended Beijing’s approach. “China has all along upheld an objective and impartial position based on the merits of the issue, and actively promoted peace talks,” he said.

Analyst Manoj Kewalramani said the synchronised articles underlined the “primary strategic logic” for the two countries: their joint push back on America and its alliance network. “If one is awaiting cracks in this relationship, you’ll be waiting for a long time or at least until the protagonists change. Even then, I wouldn’t bet my house on it,” said the China studies fellow at India’s Takshashila Institution.

Alexander Gabuev, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Beijing’s peace talk was focused more on its international reputation than ending the Ukraine war. “(It’s) a rebuttal to Western allegations that China has been a silent accomplice to Russia, and an attempt to bolster its image as a responsible world power in the eyes of developing countries,” Mr Gabuev said.