China and Russia aim to lead the world towards a new international order, according to one of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) highest-ranking diplomats.
“The Chinese side is willing to work with the Russian side to continuously implement high-level strategic cooperation between the two countries, safeguard common interests, and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction,” said CCP Politburo member Yang Jiechi, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry.
“The relationship between the two countries has always been on the right track, and both sides firmly support each other on issues relating to their core interests.”
The comment came closely behind similar remarks made by the CCP’s third-in-command, Li Zhanshu, in which he explicitly approved of the war in Ukraine and assured Russia it would receive Chinese support.
“China understands and supports Russia on issues that represent its vital interests, in particular on the situation in Ukraine,” Li said, according to Russia’s State Duma. The quote was not corroborated by China’s statement of the event.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping will meet later this week on the sidelines of a regional security summit in Uzbekistan. It will be the first time the two leaders have met in person since February, when they declared a “no limits” partnership in Beijing, a mere weeks before the Ukraine invasion.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov announced the meeting at a Sep. 13 briefing in Moscow, saying that the two leaders would discuss issues of geostrategic significance, including Taiwan and Ukraine. Ushakov added that the meeting would hold “special significance” for the two leaders.