Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to deepen China's support for Russia after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to levy sweeping secondary sanctions on Russia's trading partners if the Kremlin does not stop its war in Ukraine in 50 days.
In a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, Xi said both nations must implement the "key agreements" reached during his recent talks with President Vladimir Putin, Chinese state media reported Tuesday.
Xi called for stronger alignment between the two countries in multilateral institutions and urged them to work together to unite the “Global South,” a term often used by China and Russia to describe developing nations skeptical of Western dominance.
The official Xinhua News Agency cited Xi as saying that Moscow and Beijing should wortk together to safeguard their development and security interests and jointly promote reform of the international order “in a more just and equitable direction.”
The remarks come just a day after Trump warned that unless Moscow agrees to a peace deal on Ukraine within 50 days, he would impose steep tariffs on Russia and any country doing business with it — including China.
Although Beijing has not publicly supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has provided Moscow with diplomatic cover and a vital economic lifeline through increased trade and energy deals.
According to sources cited by the South China Morning Post, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas earlier this month that China does not want to see Russia lose the war, as Beijing fears this would shift Washington’s strategic focus entirely to countering China.
During a visit to Moscow in May, Xi publicly endorsed Putin’s stance on Ukraine, with the leaders issuing a joint declaration that said the conflict could end only by “addressing its underlying causes” — a veiled reference to NATO expansion and Western influence.
The two leaders also pledged to step up coordination to “decisively oppose” U.S. hegemony and present themselves as architects of a new, multipolar world order.
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