Putin-Xi talks: Russian leader reveals China's 'concern' over Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has acknowledged China's "concern" over Ukraine, in his first face-to-face talks with President Xi Jinping since the Russian invasion, BBC reported.
But speaking in Uzbekistan, Mr Putin also thanked China for its "balanced position" - and said US "attempts to create a unipolar world" would fail.
Mr Xi said China was willing to work with Russia as "major countries".
China hasn't endorsed Russia's invasion but has grown trade and other ties with Moscow since it was launched.
The two leaders' meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand comes at a crucial point in the Ukraine war, as Russian troops lose ground in parts of the country.
"We highly value the balanced position of our Chinese friends when it comes to the Ukraine crisis," Mr Putin told Mr Xi, on only his second foray abroad since February's invasion.
Revealing that China had "questions and concern" about the situation in Ukraine, he said he understood.
"During today's meeting, we will of course explain our position," Mr Putin said.
In contrast to Mr Putin's statement, the Chinese government readout after the meeting notably did not mention the Ukraine war.
But it said Russia and China would extend "strong mutual support" on core interests. Together, the two would play "a leading role in injecting stability into a world of change and disorder", and Beijing called their partnership "as stable as mountains".
The invasion has plunged Moscow into its worst crisis with the West since the Cold War and has sent global food and energy prices soaring, according to BBC.
It also poses a huge challenge for China - whose relations with the West have nosedived in recent years over issues including human rights and the future of Taiwan.
Mr Putin and Mr Xi have met dozens of times over the years but their latest talks received particular scrutiny.
Their growing relationship - which they characterise as a bulwark to Western dominance - signifies a major shift in the world order following the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The roles are reversed now, with China the dominant partner, having risen to become an economic superpower.
"Putin is getting more out of it than Xi - Russia is quite isolated internationally," Professor Emeritus Rosemary Foot, a senior research fellow in international relations at Oxford University, told the BBC.
"So it's important to show that China is a supportive partner, not an ally but certainly a supportive actor. There is a close relationship."
For Mr Xi, who described Mr Putin as "an old friend", the optics of the meeting were also significant.
He is seeking a historic third term at a Communist Party congress next month, and his visit to Central Asia is the first time he has left China since the start of the Covid pandemic.
His trip comes amid fresh lockdowns in China, where his "zero Covid" policy is still in place. While the rest of the world has opened up, Beijing continues to shut down entire cities and provinces every time cases flare up.
China and Russia have long sought to position the SCO, founded in 2001 with four ex-Soviet Central Asian nations, as an alternative to Western multilateral groups. India, Pakistan and Iran are also members.
During their last meeting in February - when Mr Putin travelled to Beijing for the Winter Olympics at Mr Xi's invitation - the two sought to demonstrate their close ties, famously declaring they shared a friendship with "no limits".
Days later Russia invaded Ukraine, prompting international condemnation and sanctions, while putting the China-Russia relationship under an intense spotlight.
Beijing has urged an end to hostilities and stressed the importance of national sovereignty. But it has also refused to call the war an invasion, as Russia refers to it as a "special military operation".
In recent weeks China has sent troops to take part in joint military exercises with Russia, and sent senior officials to meet Russian counterparts. It has also come to Russia's economic aid as Western sanctions were imposed, BBC reported.
This relationship has been a win-win for both countries. With Europe reducing its dependency on Russian oil and gas, China has increased its purchases, which it is reportedly getting at discounted rates.
Last month Beijing also agreed to pay for gas in Russian roubles and Chinese yuan, giving Moscow a much-needed alternative to dollars as a foreign reserve, while furthering China's interests in boosting the yuan as an international currency.
But China appears to have drawn a line.
US intelligence says Moscow is so desperate for weapons, it has turned to Iran and even North Korea for supplies. It has also apparently approached China - but there has been no indication so far that Beijing has agreed.
Some experts believe that despite the rosy picture of comradeship, Mr Xi will want to maintain some distance between him and Mr Putin for several reasons.
"It would be spectacularly inept to choose the moment of maximum Russian tactical retreat in Ukraine to lean into Moscow even harder than Beijing already has," said Evan Feigenbaum, vice-president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in a recent commentary.
Another concern for Mr Xi is that former Soviet Central Asian countries, four of which are members of the SCO, do not support Russia's invasion of Ukraine - which also used to be part of the USSR, according to BBC.
"[Mr Xi] must be very aware that Central Asia is unhappy and nervous about what's going on," Prof Foot told the BBC.
Putin Says He Understands China Has 'Concerns' About Ukraine 'Crisis'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he understands that China has "questions and concerns" about Moscow's military action in Ukraine, as he held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan, voanews.com reported. China has publicly adopted a neutral stance on Russia's seven-month invasion, even as Xi has said that one of Beijing's core foreign policy principles is that countries should respect one another's borders. In televised remarks at the start of their talks in Samarkand, Putin told Xi, "We highly value the balanced position of our Chinese friends regarding the Ukrainian crisis. We understand your questions and concerns on this matter, and during today's meeting, we will of course clarify all of these in detail." Putin's remarks came as Ukraine in recent days has swiftly recaptured vast swaths of territory in the northeast region that Russia had claimed in the earliest weeks of the war, which Moscow continues to call a "special military operation." Putin assailed what he characterized as the American-dominated "unipolar" world that he sees Russia and China jointly aligned against. "We jointly stand for the formation of a just, democratic and multipolar world order based on international law and the central role of the U.N., and not on some rules that someone has come up with and is trying to impose on others, without even explaining what it's about," Putin said. "In general, I must say that the attempts to create a unipolar world have recently acquired an absolutely ugly shape and are absolutely unacceptable for the vast majority of states on the planet," he continued. Beijing did not release any immediate comment on the talks, but a transcript of the opening remarks released by the Kremlin quoted Xi as saying, "We are ready, together with our Russian colleagues, to set an example of a responsible world power and play a leading role in bringing such a rapidly changing world onto a trajectory of sustainable and positive development." The transcript did not include any comments by Xi about Ukraine or U.S.-dominated NATO, the West's key military alliance that has sent billions of dollars in armaments to Ukraine to help fend off the Russian invasion, according to voanews.com. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price told VOA on Thursday, "We made clear months ago now of information that was available to us suggesting that the Russian Federation was seeking assistance, military assistance from the PRC [People's Republic of China] for its war against Ukraine. "We made very clear to the PRC, both in public but also at the highest levels, the highest levels, that we will be watching very closely in any PRC effort to provide military assistance to Russia, or to help Russia on a systematic basis, circumvent the sanctions that had been put in place would incur significant costs," Price said, "and we have not seen any change on the part of the PRC." Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, a global issues think tank in Washington, told VOA's Mandarin service, "China is not committed to support the Russian war in Ukraine. That will not change. But the China-Russia relations are so much broader than just the war in Ukraine, and China will advance those." David Sacks, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told VOA that Putin's acknowledgement that China had "questions and concerns" about its invasion of Ukraine "is somewhat surprising because it shows that there could be a little bit of daylight between Russia and China, and it reveals that potentially China has aired some concerns privately about Russia's conduct in Ukraine." Price said it's "not surprising that these two countries are coming together. We've said that President Putin is very clear in looking for every conceivable lifeline he can find." "He's turning to countries like the DPRK [North Korea], he is turning to countries like Iran in the process. And when it comes to Russia and the PRC, it's true that they share a vision for the world," he added. Putin and Xi held talks on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security alliance that includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four Central Asian nations, voanews.com reported. Putin also met Thursday with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, whose country is planning to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Raisi said Moscow and Tehran are completing a major treaty that would bring their relations to a "strategic level."
Chinese speaker appreciates Nepal for ‘supporting’ China’s position on Taiwan, Xinjiang
At the invitation of Speaker of Nepal's House of Representatives Agni Sapkota, Chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Li Zhanshu paid an official goodwill visit to Nepal from Monday to Thursday, Xinhua reported.
During the visit, Li met with Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, and held talks with Sapkota and Chairman of National Assembly of Nepal Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, separately. While meeting with Bhandari, Li first conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Li said that China and Nepal are linked by mountains and rivers, and the two peoples have been enjoying friendly relations for generations. President Xi paid a historic state visit to Nepal in 2019, during which the two heads of state elevated the China-Nepal relationship to a strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity, offering strategic guidance for the long-term development of bilateral ties, Li said. He thanked the Nepalese side for unswervingly adhering to the one-China principle, and supporting China's position on the Taiwan question and issues concerning Tibet, Xinjiang and human rights. China will continue to firmly support Nepal's efforts to safeguard its sovereign independence and territorial integrity, to achieve prosperity and strength, Li said. He welcomed the Nepalese side to actively participate in the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative proposed by Xi, and congratulated Nepal for its upcoming National Day on Sept. 20. Asking Li to convey her sincere regards to Xi, Bhandari said Xi's visit to Nepal in 2019 is a milestone in the history of the two countries' bilateral relations. China has always been Nepal's most reliable good friend and partner, she said, expressing gratitude to China for its selfless help to Nepal in economic and social development, earthquake rescue and relief, and the fight against COVID-19. With its rapid development, China has become a model of global development and played an important role in safeguarding world peace and stability, she said.Bhandari expressed hope that Nepal and China will strengthen practical cooperation in various fields and push forward the implementation of important projects, according to Xinhua.
When meeting with Deuba, Li said China has always regarded Nepal as a priority in neighborhood diplomacy. The two sides should continue to understand and support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and jointly uphold true multilateralism.
Li called for advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strengthening exchanges and cooperation in trade and investment, infrastructure, customs clearance and other areas, and jointly building the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network to bring tangible benefits to the people of both countries.
For his part, Deuba said that both Nepal and China uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and the bilateral ties have enjoyed a solid political foundation. Nepal's development transformation needs China's support and help, he added.
Nepal is ready to strengthen friendly exchanges with China at various levels and expand practical cooperation with China in areas such as economy, people's livelihood, education, tourism and culture, so as to realize common development and prosperity, Deuba said.
In his separate meetings with Sapkota and Timilsina, Li said China's NPC is ready to work with Nepal's parliament to implement the important consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries, promote closer exchanges between their special committees as well as friendship groups, strengthen exchanges on governance experience and provide legal support for the practical cooperation between the two countries.
Sapkota said China's foreign policies have fully embodied the notion of win-win cooperation underlined by Xi, expressing his hope that the legislatures of the two countries will further their close exchanges, and promote the implementation of projects in connectivity, livelihood improvement and other areas.
Timilsina said Nepal's parliament actively supports the Belt and Road construction and is willing to learn from China's experience in economic and social development as well as in poverty alleviation.
Li briefed the Nepalese side about the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xinhua reported. The Nepalese leaders said that as a friendly neighboring country, Nepal is happy with the great development achievements of the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC. Under the leadership of Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, China will surely be able to successfully realize the second centenary goal, they said, adding that they wish the 20th CPC National Congress a success. The Nepalese leaders unanimously reiterated that Nepal has always firmly adhered to the one-China principle and will not allow any force to use the Nepalese territory for anti-Chinese activities or harming China's interests. During his visit to Nepal, Li also met separately with KP Sharma Oli, chairman of the Community Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), and chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda.
Four former CJs not to appear before IRC meeting
The four former Chief Justices, who were named by suspended CJ Cholendra SJB Rana, have decided not to appear before the meeting of the Impeachment Recommendation Committee (IRC), citing that it would be against the professional integrity and the concept of independent judiciary. The Committee on Wednesday had decided, and sent a letter to former CJs—Min Bahadur Rayamajhi, Anup Raj Sharma, Kalyan Shrestha and Sushila Karki—and other sitting Supreme Court justices asking them to appear before the meeting to record their statements for investigations based on the statements given by Rana. "We sat down together and decided not to appear before the meeting. We already provided needful suggestions. We have decided that it would be against professional integrity and the concept of independent judiciary. We have provided our decision to the Committee," said Rayamajhi talking to Rastriya Samachar Samiti. The full court meeting on Thursday sent a letter to the Committee, saying that sitting justices could not be present before the Committee meeting. As a result, the Committee meeting that was scheduled for 8:30 am today was rescheduled for 1 pm today itself.
