MOSCOW - China and Russia “share similar goals,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday during a visit to Moscow. “It is true that both of our countries share the same, or some similar goals. We have exerted efforts for the prosperity of our respective countries…we can cooperate and work together to achieve our goals,” Xi said. “I’m very happy that I can visit Russia again, at your invitation. And that Russia is the first country that I visited after my re-election as China’s President,” Xi told Putin. Xi also expressed support for Putin to be reelected. “I know that the Russia presidential election is next year. Russia’s development has significantly improved under your firm leadership. I believe that the Russian people will continue to strongly support you,” he said. Xi said China “highly values” China-Russia ties and that both countries can cooperate to fulfill their development goals. Xi viSit to MoScoW proviDES “DiploMatic covEr” for ruSSiaN criMES, SayS BliNKEN US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow shows China’s intent to provide “diplomatic cover” for Russia’s “atrocities committed in Ukraine” instead of condemning them.
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“That President Xi is traveling to Russia days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine, and instead of even condemning them, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those very crimes,” said Blinken at a news conference at the State Department on the release of the 2022 Human Rights Report. However, Blinken said that “elements” of China’s peace proposal for the war were in line with efforts the US would support. “China’s proposal includes elements that we have long supported, including ensuring nuclear safety, resolving the humanitarian crisis, protecting civilians and, indeed, the first element calls for upholding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all counties,” said Blinken. But he said any calls for a ceasefire “that does not include the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest” as it would “allow President Putin to rest and refit his troops, and then restart the war at a time more advantageous to Russia.”
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