A Chinese expert on Beijing’s foreign policy says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China exemplifies the mutual trust between the two countries.
Wang Yiwei, professor at Renmin University of China, spoke with NHK in an online interview on Thursday, when Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Wang said that Chinese and Russian leaders, after winning reelection, customarily visit each other’s country before traveling to any other part of the world.
He stressed that the practice embodies high-level and strategic mutual trust between the two nations and represents a new model for ties between major powers.
Wang also discussed the US accusation that China has been supplying Russia with materials that can be used for military purposes.
He said the allegation is discriminatory since it associates normal trade between the two countries with Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine.
Wang stated that China has consistently maintained a strict stance toward arms exports and that Russia is forming close relations with China because of Western sanctions.
The Xi-Putin summit will only have limited ramifications for China-US ties, Wang indicated, since Beijing and Washington are working to stabilize relations through bilateral talks.
Wang said China obviously does not want to be a target of the US while Washington would like ties with Beijing to be stabilized overall.