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China’s Xi pursues closer bilateral ties with Russia


China's Xi pursues closer bilateral ties with Russia

BEIJING: In a recent video conference, Chinese Premiere, Xi Jinping, stated he was committed to improving bilateral relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Chinese premiere said that China and Russia were ‘prepared’ to navigate the uncertainties of  the external environment with stability and flexibility.

Read more: Russia, Iran sign sweeping strategic partnership agreement

Xi talked about the importance of jointly promoting the development and revitalisation of both countries.

The meeting comes at the heels of the 75th anniversary of the establishing of diplomatic relations between the two Asian giants.

Historically, China and Russia shared a rather tense relationship as the former Soviet Union and Maoist China had a sudden falling out in mid-20th century. In recent years, relations have bettered.

USSR and China established diplomatic relations in 1949, shortly after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. While initially ideologically aligned against the capitalist West, relationships were strained by the 1960s, which is when China pursued better relations with Pakistan.

The fall of Soviet Union and establishment of Russia as its direct successor led to a turning point. Western world views the friendly ties between China and Russia with a suspicious eye, despite China remaining neutral in Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Read more: Russia and Iran abandon the dollar in bilateral trade

Trade between China and Russia has grown in recent years, with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce reporting bilateral trade at $146 billion in 2022 alone.

Key sectors driving the profitable trade includes the energy sector, agriculture, and technology.

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