China's President Xi Jinping affirmed his "no limits" partnership in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, China's state media reported, on the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
The leaders held the talks as US President Donald Trump has pushed for a quick deal to end the Ukraine war, raising the prospect that Washington could draw a wedge between Xi and Putin to focus on competing with the world's second largest economy. The call appeared aimed at dispelling any such prospects - the two leaders underscored the durability and the "long-term" nature of their alliance, with its own internal dynamics that would not be impacted by any "third party".
"China-Russia relations have strong internal driving force and unique strategic value, and are not aimed at, nor are they influenced by, any third party," said Xi, according to the official readout published by Chinese state media.
"The development strategies and foreign policies of China and Russia are long-term," said Xi, adding that the two countries "are good neighbours that cannot be moved apart".
Putin also informed Xi "about the recent Russian-American contacts", according to a Kremlin statement. Xi said that China was "pleased to see the positive efforts made by Russia and all parties concerned to defuse the crisis," noting China's initiatives such as the creation of a group of nations called "friends of peace".
These efforts have focused on portraying China as a neutral peacemaker, but critics say they lack substance because the West accuses China of supporting Russia's war effort through supplies of dual use goods and massive purchases of Russian oil and gas.
This was the second call both leaders have held this year, after they discussed how to build ties with Trump in January. Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center's Gabuev said that the "fact that both sides did it on the third anniversary of the war just tells you how robust this partnership has become." Reuters
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