The head of the People’s Republic of China and the leader of the ruling Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, arrived in Moscow on an official visit. It will last an unusually long time, for three whole days – until March 22. Xi is visiting Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.
Xi Jinping’s plane lands in Moscow
Xi Jinping’s plane landed at Vnukovo Airport around 1 p.m. A liner with an official Chinese delegation arrived before him. At the airport, the Chinese leader was met by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.
Upon the arrival of Si declaredthat China is ready to stand guard over the world order based on international law. The head of China also noted the importance of the fundamental norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday for the first time since 2019 and since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. The visit of the Chinese leader will last three days. Ukraine is one of the main topics on the agenda of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
An article by Putin was published in the Chinese newspaper Renmin Ribao the night before, and an article by Xi Jinping was simultaneously published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Both leaders write not only about cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, but also about Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In a written statement by the President of the People’s Republic of China, distributed upon arrival, Xi Jinping is very pleased to be invited by President Vladimir Putin to come back to Russia for a state visit. On behalf of the government and people of the PRC, he expressed sincere greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Russia:
“China and Russia, as major powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, play an important role in international affairs. In a world that is far from calm, China is ready, together with Russia, to resolutely defend the UN-centric international system, to guard the world order based on international law and fundamental norms international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, adhere to true multilateralism, promote multipolarity in the world and the democratization of international relations, and contribute to the development of global governance in a more just and rational direction.
Official negotiations will take place on Tuesday 21 March. They will be held in narrow and extended formats. The Kremlin previously confirmed that, in addition to bilateral issues, Putin and Xi will discuss Beijing’s proposed peace plan for Ukraine. The document contains 12 points, including a ceasefire, the start of peace talks, respect for sovereignty and an end to unilateral sanctions.
China’s “peace plan”. The West is skeptical
On the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China presented a plan for a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The plan consists of 12 points, including: the cessation of hostilities, the resumption of direct dialogue, respect for the sovereignty of all countries, the end of unilateral sanctions.
Western countries were skeptical about the plan, noting that Beijing is usually inclined to support the decisions and position of the Kremlin. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that China is considering the possibility of supplying Russia with weapons. China has consistently denied such allegations.
Will negotiations between Xi Jinping and Zelensky take place?
The American edition of The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Xi Jinping plans to talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – also for the first time since the start of the war. According to the newspaper, this may happen in video format after a visit to Moscow. However, Beijing has not yet responded positively to Kyiv’s attempts to arrange a meeting between Xi Jinping and Zelensky. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said earlier that Zelensky was ready for telephone conversations with the President of China.
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