Natalia Chi
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday for a three-day visit to provide Russian President Vladimir Putin with a strong political boost amid escalating fighting in Ukraine.
China and Russia have described Xi’s visit as part of efforts to further deepen their “endless friendship”.
The Kremlin has welcomed China’s peace plan for Ukraine and said talks between Putin and Xi Jinping, which will begin at a dinner on Monday, will be discussed.
Beijing called for a ceasefire, but Washington strongly rejected the idea as an effective ratification of the Kremlin’s battlefield interests.
Xi’s visit to Russia comes after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes charges. The Kremlin, which does not recognize the ICC’s authority, rejected the ICC’s move as “legally invalid”.
China’s foreign ministry on Monday called on the ICC to “respect the sovereign immunity” of heads of state and “avoid politicization and double standards.”
China looks to Russia as a source of oil and gas for its energy-hungry economy and as a partner against US domination of world affairs.
