‘Multipolar world’: What Xi and Putin announced after the Beijing summit | Political Affairs

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have signed a memorandum of understanding meeting in Beijing, focusing on creating a “multi-ethnic world and a new type of international relations”. The two countries also announced that they will sign a major agreement to promote bilateral cooperation in the future.

The meeting was held a few days after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, completed his visit to China a two-day conference and Xi.

Here’s what statements from Beijing and Moscow have to say about five key issues after the Russia-China summit.

Establishing a ‘multiple world’

On Wednesday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The two countries have also issued a joint statement to promote a multi-ethnic world and a new international relationship.” Assistant to the president of Russia Yuri Ushakov explained that the declaration had 47 pages.

A “multinational state” is understood as one in which economic, military and diplomatic power is vested in the hands of three or more states, not just one or two.

“Xi wants a multi-ethnic world, where the US has less power and influence,” Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu reported from Beijing as the meeting was underway.

Both Putin and Xi have spoken out against the “unipolar” hegemony they claim the US has in the world.

In 2022, just after Russia’s war in Ukraine, Mr. Putin accused the US of starting a war in Ukraine to further influence the world.

“They need conflict to preserve their reputation,” Putin said in a speech. “The era of the unipolar world system is about to end.”

Chinese media reported that in a recent meeting, Xi told Putin: “The world’s power density is increasing.”

Bilateral relations have reached an unprecedented level

A press statement posted on the Kremlin website said relations between Russia and China have reached “an unprecedented level and continue to grow”.

A statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Both sides should follow the path of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results to promote the high development of China-Russia relations.”

The statement added that the cooperation between the two countries extends to economic, sports, education and media.

The Kremlin statement added that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the cooperation between the Russian news agency TASS and the Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Expanding economic cooperation – and moving away from the US dollar

The Kremlin said that Beijing and Moscow had signed about 40 documents on governments, institutions and organizations. “Most of these are focused on expanding our economic cooperation,” it said.

The statement added that, last year, trade between the two countries reached about $240bn, while China’s statement that trade between the two countries grew by 20 percent in the first four months of this year.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has become increasingly dependent on Chinese technology and manufacturing. Last month, Bloomberg reported that Russia now imports more than 90 percent of the technology targeted by US and European Union sanctions through China, using Chinese suppliers and middlemen to obtain military components and two jobs needed for the production of drones and other defense industries.

“Both sides should work hard on this, deepen the connection between China’s 15th five-year plan and Russia’s development strategy until 2030, promote the promotion of mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and help strengthen and revitalize both countries,” the Chinese ministry said.

The Kremlin statement says that almost all trade and exports between Russia and China are in ruble and yuan. “In other words, we have created a stable system of cooperative trade that is protected from foreign influence and adverse events in international markets,” it said.

To ensure that electricity is available

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it understood the long-delayed diplomatic process Siberia 2 pipesbut more is still being discussed. Once completed, the pipeline will transport 50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually to China via Mongolia, greatly expanding energy flows between the two countries.

The Kremlin statement said that Russia and China are working hard in the energy sector.

“Our country is one of the largest exporters of oil, gas (including LNG) and coal in China. We are ready to continue to ensure that the reliable and uninterrupted supply of these types of oil is growing rapidly in the Chinese market,” he said.

As European markets were largely closed to Russia due to the war in Ukraine, China emerged as an important buyer of Russian oil and other energy products, benefit from a huge discount on Russian affairs.

In December 2022, the Group of Seven (G7), the EU and Australia put a cup on the tree Russian oil at $60 a barrel, apparently reducing Russia’s ability to support its war in Ukraine. The cap was later reduced to around $48 by the EU and the United Kingdom.

‘The Academic Year’

Both the statement said Xi and Putin agreed to expand student exchange programs and cooperation between universities and research platforms to advance scientific research.