The Heads of State of NATO pose with U.S. President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the South Lawn of the White House before a State dinner at the NATO 75th anniversary summit celebration in Washington, DC, on July 10, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

NATO has voiced profound concern over China’s deepening relationship with Russia and accused Beijing of becoming a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called “no limits” partnership with the country.

Leaders of the 32-member North Atlantic Treaty Organisation said this in a statement following their meeting in Washington to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Council.

“The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) stated ambitions and coercive policies continue to challenge our interests, security and values. The deepening strategic partnership between Russia and the PRC and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut and reshape the rules-based international order are a cause for profound concern,” said the Washington Summit Declaration.

“We are confronted by hybrid, cyber, space and other threats and malicious activities from state and non-state actors,” it said.

“The PRC has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called “no limits” partnership and its large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base. This increases the threat Russia poses to its neighbours and to Euro-Atlantic security,” it said.

NATO leaders called on China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council with a particular responsibility to uphold the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, to cease all material and political support to Russia’s war effort.

“This includes the transfer of dual-use materials, such as weapons components, equipment, and raw materials that serve as inputs for Russia’s defence sector. The PRC cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation,” said the declaration issued by the heads of state and government participating in the meeting during which it welcomed Sweden as its 32nd member country.

The historic accession of Finland and Sweden makes them safer and the alliance stronger, including in the High North and the Baltic Sea, it said.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shattered peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and gravely undermined global security, said the declaration, adding that Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to the allies’ security.

“Terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, is the most direct asymmetric threat to the security of our citizens and to international peace and prosperity. The threats we face are global and interconnected,” it said.

China continues to pose systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security, the declaration said.

“We have seen sustained malicious cyber and hybrid activities, including disinformation, stemming from the PRC. We call on the PRC to uphold its commitment to act responsibly in cyberspace,” it said.

The declaration also expressed concern over developments in China’s space capabilities and activities.

“We call on the PRC to support international efforts to promote responsible space behaviour. The PRC continues to rapidly expand and diversify its nuclear arsenal with more warheads and a larger number of sophisticated delivery systems. We urge the PRC to engage in strategic risk reduction discussions and promote stability through transparency,” it said.

The leaders said they remain open to constructive engagement with China, including to build reciprocal transparency with the view of safeguarding the alliance’s security interests.

“At the same time, we are boosting our shared awareness, enhancing our resilience and preparedness, and protecting against the PRC’s coercive tactics and efforts to divide the Alliance,” the declaration said.

At the 75th anniversary summit, NATO took steps to strengthen its deterrence and defence, bolster long-term support to Ukraine so it can prevail in its fight for freedom, and deepen NATO’s partnerships.

“We warmly welcome President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy of Ukraine and the leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the European Union,” said the declaration.

Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will reinforce its partnerships in the Indo-Pacific to push against the growing alignment of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

“We will increase our support for Ukraine by establishing a NATO coordination and security assistance and training for Ukraine, and by ensuring sustained support for the long term. Support for Ukraine is not charity. It is in our own security interest,” he said.

Washington:

NATO leaders on Wednesday said China’s deepening ties with Russia are a cause of “deep concern” and accused Beijing of playing a key role in helping Moscow’s assault on Ukraine.

China “has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called ‘no limits’ partnership and its large-scale support for Russia’s defense industrial base,” NATO leaders said in a declaration from their summit in Washington.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Astana:

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday that relations between Beijing and Moscow were stronger than ever before.

The pair met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana — a regional political and economic bloc that the two leaders see as a counterweight to US “hegemony” in international affairs.

Putin hailed the group as “strengthening its role as one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order” in opening remarks of a meeting with Xi that were published on Russian state TV.

Alongside Russia and China, four Central Asian states, India, Iran and Pakistan are members of the SOC.

Beijing has become Moscow’s key political and economic partner since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a raft of Western sanctions.

“Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history,” Putin said. 

In his brief opening comments, Xi called Putin his “old friend” and said Sino-Russian relations were at a “high level.”

“In the face of the turbulent international situation and external environment, the two sides should continue to uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations to come,” Xi said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday said ties between the two countries have become a stabilising factor for the world and a fine example for other countries, as the two leaders met here amidst mounting pressure over Beijing to scale down support to Moscow over its prolonged war in Ukraine.

Mr. Putin arrived in Beijing on Thursday on his first foreign visit,days after being re-elected for the fifth term in power in the midst of Russia’s raging war with Ukraine.

Welcoming Mr. Putin on his two-day visit, Mr. Xi said celebrating the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic ties is a defining theme. “Having lasted three quarters of a century, China-Russia relations have grown from strength-to-strength despite the ups and downs, and have stood the test of changing international landscape,” he said in his talks with Putin whom he regards as a close friend.

“The relationship has become a fine example for major and neighbouring countries to treat each other with respect and candour, and pursue friendship and mutual benefit,” he said, without referring to Russia’s Ukraine war over which the US and EU are increasing pressure on Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to halt it.

Mr. Xi said he and Mr. Putin have met more than 40 times and stayed in close communication, providing strategic guidance that has ensured the sound, steady and smooth development of the relationship.

“The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it,” Mr. Xi said.

“Steady development of China-Russia relations is not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples but also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world at large,” he said.

Also Read | Russia’s Putin says world conflicts ‘strengthen’ ties with China

Calling Mr. Xi “my dear friend”, Mr. Putin in his speech said “it is of fundamental importance that relations between Russia and China are not opportunistic and are not directed against anyone”.

“Our cooperation in world affairs today serves as one of the main stabilising factors in the international arena,” he said, according to a report by Russian news agency Tass.

Mr. Putin also said Russia is open to a dialogue on Ukraine.

“We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours,” Mr. Putin was quoted as saying by China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

Russia and China are successfully cooperating in the United Nations, BRICS, SCO and G20, Putin said.

“We are determined to further harmonise integration processes in the Eurasian space, to combine the potential of the Eurasian Economic Community and your, my dear friend, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” the Russian leader said.

The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.

Mr. Putin expressed hope that his current visit would give an additional impetus to the development of the entire complex of bilateral cooperation.

“I would like to emphasise: I am very happy to arrive in China and to meet with you,” Mr. Putin told Mr. Xi.

Also Read | China’s Xi says strong Russia ties a ‘strategic choice’

This is Mr. Putin’s second visit to Beijing since last October.

Soon after Mr. Putin arrived at the historic Great Hall of People, the seat of power of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, Mr. Xi held a welcome ceremony which included a guard of honour by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) contingent.      

After 15 minutes’ ceremony the two leaders, who over the years have become close friends and allies, went in for talks.

Highlighting the significance of Mr. Putin’s visit, Yury Ushakov, the Russian presidential foreign policy aide, said that China was not randomly chosen for Mr. Putin’s first foreign trip, but as a response to a similar gesture of friendship made by Mr. Xi last year after his election for an unprecedented third term.

Mr. Putin has brought a large delegation consisting of five deputy prime ministers, heads of economic, diplomatic and security agencies, as well as heads of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Russian Railways, Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, Russian news agency Tass reported.

In addition, senior officials from 20 Russian regions are also accompanying Mr. Putin.

The bilateral talks are expected to focus on trade and economic cooperation, besides the strategic environment arising from Mr. Putin’s war over Ukraine, which also brought pressure on China from the US and EU to distance itself from Moscow.

China has become the largest beneficiary of Russia’s oil and gas during the Ukraine war.

Mr. Putin’s visit to China, the second since last October, follows Mr. Xi’s just concluded European Union tour to France, Serbia and Hungary.

In his talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, Mr. Xi pledged that China would not sell arms to Russia and would control the flow of dual-use goods to its military.

 The U.S. too is mounting pressure on China not to sell arms to Russia to further its war in Ukraine.

While Mr. Xi, 70, regards his ties with Mr. Putin, 71, as counter to the U.S.’ increasing hostility towards China, which Beijing says is aimed at countering its rise, there is unease here over Mr. Putin’s continuation of the Ukraine war.

Though Beijing has not publically supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the no-limits China-Russia strategic partnership has come under intense scrutiny from the U.S. and its allies, who have imposed sanctions on Moscow and repeatedly called Beijing to use its leverage to bring the war to an end.

The second stage of Mr. Putin’s two-day state visit to China will take place in the city of Harbin, the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province.

There, Mr. Putin will attend the opening ceremony of the 8th Russian-Chinese Expo and the 4th Russia-China Forum on Interregional Cooperation, and will also meet with the students and teaching staff of the Harbin Institute of Technology.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, on October 18, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday praised the “unprecedented” energy cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, as the Kremlin seeks to strengthen its Asian partnerships to make up for the loss of the European market.

Russia has been hit by massive Western sanctions over its Ukraine offensive, with Europe trying to end its energy links with Moscow.

Putin wrapped up a two-day visit to China on Thursday, his first outside the former Soviet Union this year.

“Relations in the overall partnership and strategic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Chinese People’s Republic have reached an unprecedented high level and continue to develop dynamically,” Putin said in a statement addressing a Russian-Chinese energy forum in Beijing.

“One of the key areas of this relationship is energy cooperation, which is becoming increasingly active,” he added.

The head of Russian oil company Rosneft, Igor Sechin, told the forum that “over 75 percent” of Russia’s exports to neighbouring China are energy linked.

“This year, Russian gas exports to China will reach a historic maximum — more than 30 billion cubic meters of gas will be delivered,” the Putin ally added.

Sechin said that Russia was China’s main oil supplier in 2023, overtaking Saudi Arabia.

Heavily sanctioned by the West — particularly in oil where the G7, the European Union and Australia have imposed a price ceiling on Russia’s exports — Moscow has for months tried to redirect deliveries to Asia, even if it means selling it at a discount.

Moscow hopes to start building the “Power of Siberia 2” pipeline from Russia to China next year, a huge project to deliver more natural gas to Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, Vladimir Putin shake hands during the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Russian leader Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that world conflicts “strengthen” his country’s relations with China, after talks with Xi Jinping that celebrated their nations’ deepening political and economic ties.

Mr. Putin, on his first trip to a major global power since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, met his “old friend” Mr. Xi in Beijing on the sidelines of a major forum in an event overshadowed by conflict in the Middle East.

At a press conference following the talks, Mr. Putin said that global turmoil served to bring China and Russia even closer together.

“All these outside factors are common threats and they strengthen Russian-Chinese cooperation,” he said.

The Russian leader also said he had “optimism” for the future of the relationship.

Mr. Xi, too, said that “political mutual trust between the two countries is continuously deepening”, according to Xinhua news agency, hailing their “close and effective strategic coordination”.

Mr. Xi noted that he had met with Mr. Putin 42 times in the past decade, saying they had “developed a good working relationship and a deep friendship”.

Mr. Putin was the guest of honour at the summit hosted by Mr. Xi in Beijing this week to celebrate his Belt and Road Initiative, a vast trade and infrastructure project.

International attention has been focused on the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has raged for more than 10 days, and both Russia and China condemned the Tuesday night strike on a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds.

Mr. Putin on Wednesday said the strike was a “tragedy” and showed the need to bring the conflict between Israel and Hamas to an end.

“This is a terrible event… I really hope that this will be a signal that this conflict needs to end as soon as possible,” he said.

China’s Foreign Ministry said it was “shocked by and strongly condemns” the strike, calling for an “immediate ceasefire”.

Earlier, Mr. Xi called for joint efforts by China and Russia to “safeguard international fairness” and “justice”, Xinhua reported.

China is Russia’s largest trading partner, with exchange between the nations reaching a record $190 billion last year, Beijing customs data shows.

And Mr. Xi said on Wednesday it was progressing towards a goal of $200 billion set by the two countries in bilateral meetings this year.

Beijing has drawn criticism from Western countries for its stance on the Ukraine war, on which China insists it is neutral. It has refused to criticise Moscow’s invasion.

Mr. Putin is on a mission to strengthen the already strong bond with his communist neighbour, though experts say Moscow is increasingly the junior partner in the relationship.

In his talks with Mr. Xi, he stressed the importance of “close coordination in foreign policy” in “the current difficult conditions”.

Representatives of 130 countries are in the Chinese capital for the two-day talking shop that wraps up on Wednesday.

Earlier, Mr. Xi said in a speech to the international delegates that his country rejected “economic coercion” and “bloc confrontation”.

In an apparent reference to China’s rivalry with the United States, Mr. Xi said Beijing would not engage in “ideological confrontation, geopolitical games or bloc confrontation”.

“We oppose unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, decoupling and delinking,” Mr. Xi told delegates.

“Viewing the development of others as a threat and economic interdependence as a risk will not make one’s own life any better or one’s own development any faster,” he said.

Instead, Mr. Xi said, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) would seek to “inject new impetus into the global economy”.

He also pledged to inject more than $100 billion of new funding into BRI projects.

Mr. Putin then took to the stage, hailing the infrastructure initiative as a “success story”.

The United States has asked China to use its influence to help de-escalate the Israel-Hamas conflict, which erupted after the Palestinian militant group launched an attack in Israel, killing 1,400 people.

Israel then launched a devastating air campaign against Gaza, which has seen more than a million people in the blockaded territory flee their homes. About 3,000 Gazans have been killed since Israel launched its air campaign, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

China, which brokered a detente between key Hamas backer Iran and its regional foe Saudi Arabia this year, said it would send its Middle East envoy Zhai Jun to the volatile region this week.

No details have been given about where or when exactly Mr. Zhai would travel, though CCTV has said he will push for a ceasefire and peace talks.

Russia, which has traditionally maintained good relations with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, has called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the conflict.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Relations between Russia and China have reached an unprecedented historical level, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with China’s Deputy Premier Zhang Guoqing on September 12, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported.

“Relations between Russia and China have reached an absolutely unprecedented historical level in recent years,” RIA cited Mr. Putin as saying.

“We will together continue this work further.”