Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Russian-Chinese relations are developing in light of their strategic cooperation despite the complexity of the international situation, hours after Beijing, along with other countries, refused to vote on a Security Council resolution condemning Moscow's annexation of Ukrainian regions.
The Russian position came in a telegram sent by Putin, today, Saturday, to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to congratulate the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, according to the Russian "Sputnik" news agency.
"Russian-Chinese relations are developing dynamically in the spirit of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, and despite the complexity of the international situation, we are successfully cooperating in a variety of areas," Putin told his Chinese counterpart.
"We must unite our forces in order to build a more democratic and just world order to face modern threats and challenges," Putin added.
"I would like to assure our readiness to continue dialogue and close joint work for the benefit of the friendly peoples of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China," he added.
veto
Yesterday, Friday, Russia used its veto to prevent the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution condemning its annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions, while China abstained from the vote and 3 other countries did the same.
The draft resolution prepared by the United States and Albania was supported by 10 member states, while 4 countries abstained: China, India, Brazil and Gabon.
China's ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, said a few days ago before a Security Council meeting that isolation and sanctions would only lead to a "dead end", after the United States called on the council to condemn Russian referendums to annex areas of Ukraine.
It is noteworthy that China did not condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and did not impose sanctions on Moscow.
US officials have criticized China for this stance, warning that Beijing should use its influence to push Putin to abide by international principles and rules.
China has expressed concerns about Russia's war in Ukraine, but does not publicly criticize it. This prompted President Putin to directly refer to China's concerns during the recent Samarkand summit. "We highly appreciate the balanced position of our Chinese friends regarding the Ukrainian crisis. We understand your questions and concerns in the this connection."
According to experts, these contradictory strategic messages between Beijing and Moscow have left American politicians confused.