Russia-China ties enter ‘new era’ as Xi meets Putin in Moscow
Al JazeeraXi signs an agreement with Russian president Vladimir Putin cementing their ‘no limits’ partnership, days after the latter was issued an international arrest warrant. China’s President Xi Jinping has said he signed an agreement with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin bringing their ties into a “new era” of cooperation, as the two leaders called for “responsible dialogue” to resolve the Ukraine crisis. Describing his talks with Putin as “open and friendly”, Xi reiterated China’s “neutral position” on Ukraine and called for dialogue. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said Kyiv had suggested to China that Beijing join a Ukrainian peace formula to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, but that it was still waiting for an answer. Samuel Ramani, the associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told Al Jazeera that while Tuesday’s agreement was not an alliance, it was “very clear that China and Russia are coordinating on a variety of fronts.” The meeting between Xi and Putin coincided with a rare, unannounced visit to Kyiv by the Japanese prime minister that underscored Tokyo’s support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.