In the United States' first reaction to the videoconference that included Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Friday, the US State Department expressed concern about what it considered China's rapprochement with Russia, and said it had previously warned Beijing of the repercussions of Russia's military support in its war on Ukraine. .
A US State Department spokesman said that Beijing "claims neutrality, but its actions clearly indicate that it is interested in closer relations with Russia," adding that Washington is "closely monitoring Beijing's activities."
An article in the Washington Post also started from the meeting that brought together the Chinese and Russian presidents and highlighted the goals of each of them to enhance cooperation between their countries.
The newspaper quoted Alexander Gabov, a researcher specializing in Sino-Russian relations, as saying that the partnership between the two countries is unequal, because China has many alternatives and does not suffer from obstacles, as is the case with Russia.
Gabov believes that China is taking advantage of Russia's weakness, but Putin, even if this partnership is harmful in the long run, can only see it as a price that must be paid to continue his war on Ukraine, according to the researcher.
Putin and Xi Jinping meeting
Yesterday, Friday, Putin met via video technology with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and assured him of Moscow's endeavor to enhance military cooperation with Beijing, praising the "resistance of the two countries in the face of Western pressures."
"In the context of unprecedented pressure and provocations from the West, we are defending our principled positions," Putin said, considering that the partnership between the two countries contributes to the formation of a just world order.
The Russian president also expected his Chinese counterpart to visit his country in 2023, saying, "We expect you to visit Moscow next spring."
He added that the visit will show the world the closeness of Russian-Chinese relations.
For his part, the Chinese president said that his country is ready to increase strategic cooperation with Russia against the backdrop of what he described as the "difficult" situation in the entire world, and stressed that the Chinese-Russian partnership aims to overcome common challenges.
Relations between the two countries gained great importance after the Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out on February 24.
While Western countries imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia, China refrained from condemning Russia and merely emphasized the need for peace.
China has so far been careful not to provide direct support to Russia that could make it vulnerable to Western sanctions.
Beijing and Moscow have conducted several joint military exercises in recent months, including a naval one this week in the East China Sea.