The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin on Thursday has praised Chinese President, Xi Jinping for his “balanced” position on the war in Ukraine and criticized the US for what the Kremlin chief said were provocations over Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the Treasury Department stated on Thursday that, “The US has imposed fresh sanctions on 22 individuals and two groups that have facilitated Moscow’s war in Ukraine.”
Chinese President on his first trip outside China since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, held a meeting with Putin in the ancient Uzbek Silk Road city of Samarkand where they will attend a summit of The Shanghai Cooperations Organisation (SCO).
While speaking at their first face-to-face meeting since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine began, Putin has praised Xi for his position on the war in Ukraine but also said that he understood Beijing had “questions and concern” over the war.
At the same time, China on the other hand has abstained from denouncing Russia’s full-scale military operation against Ukraine and calling it in an “invasion” in line with the Kremlin, which casts the war as “a special military operation.”
Putin has clearly backed China over Taiwan. China held blockade-style military drills around Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid a visit to Taiwan last month. The government of Taiwan strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims.
Moreover, Putin said that, “We intend to firmly adhere to the principle of ‘One China’. We condemn provocations by the United States and their satellites in the Taiwan Strait.”
Xi, who the Communist Party is due next month to bestow a historic third leadership term and thus cement his place as the country’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, did not mention Ukraine in his public remarks.