Xi Jinping 'Willing To Work' With Putin To Steer Global Order In 'More Just, Reasonable' Direction, Says Top Chinese Envoy

Xi Jinping’s government said China is willing to work with Vladimir Putin to take the global order “in a more just and reasonable direction.”

What Happened: “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,” Beijing’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi reportedly told the Russian ambassador on Monday.

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Underscoring the depth of the two nations’ ties, Jiechi said that with Xi and Putin at the helm, “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,” Bloomberg reported.

This came ahead of Xi’s first foreign trip in more than two years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, where he is set to meet Putin. Xi will be on a state visit to Kazakhstan on Wednesday. He would then meet the Russian President at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's summit in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan.

China has never taken a clear stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, nor has it ever criticized Russia for its actions. Xi has often reiterated that China supports Russia and Ukraine to "resolve issues through negotiations."

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