Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping agreed in a video conference on Wednesday to stick firm in rejecting Western intervention and safeguarding each other’s security interests.
Their meeting, which came eight days after Putin met with US Vice President Joe Biden in a similar setting, highlighted how their common anti-Western animosity is pulling Moscow and Beijing closer together.
“At the moment, certain international forces are interfering in the internal affairs of China and Russia under the guise of ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights,’ and brutally trampling on international law and recognized norms of international relations,” Xi said, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
“China and Russia should intensify their collaborative efforts to better protect both nations’ security interests.”
Xi and Putin will meet in Beijing in February, according to Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov. Xi has offered Putin assistance in his efforts to win binding security guarantees from the West, saying he understands Moscow’s concerns.
He added that the two also stated their “disapproval” of new military alliances such as the AUKUS collaboration between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the Indo-Pacific “Quad” comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
