(PatriotWise.com)- In a highly choreographed display of public solidarity, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with China’s President Xi Jinping before the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics last Friday.
During their meeting, President Xi offered his support of Russia in its showdown with the West over Ukraine.
In a 5,300-word joint statement released after their meeting, China accused the United States of encouraging Taiwan’s independence and stoking protests in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Russia accused the United States of playing a similar role in destabilizing Ukraine.
In the joint statement released by the Kremlin, the two nations vowed to stand together against the “external forces” looking to “undermine security and stability in the common adjacent regions.”
The two nations said they intended to counter the interference from “outside forces in the internal affairs of sovereign countries under any pretext,” and vowed to increase their cooperation to do so.
China also sided with Russia in its demand that NATO ends its expansion into Eastern Europe and “abandon its ideologize Cold War approaches.”
In recent days, the Kremlin has accused the Biden administration of exaggerating the threat of a possible Russian invasion as a way to justify deploying US troops in Eastern Europe.
The meeting between Putin and Xi was shown on Russian state television Friday with the two leaders greeting each other on a red carpet at the government guesthouse in Beijing.
During their greeting, President Putin told Xi that the Russian-Chinese relationship has “taken on a truly unprecedented character,” calling it an “example of a dignified relationship” that allows them both to develop “while supporting each other’s development.”
China is not a party to the current conflict in Ukraine, however, the Chinese government believes the showdown is a test of US influence and resolve that may distract President Biden from his administration’s focus on China. Some experts also believe that China is watching carefully to see how Biden deals with the conflict in Ukraine as a way to gauge how Biden will deal with any conflict with Beijing over Taiwan.
