Putin and Xi vow to oppose US hegemony
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin met President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, pledging a “new era” of collaboration between Russia and China. Amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the move signified Russia and China uniting against the supremacy of the U.S. (United States of America).
President Xi greeted his Russian counterpart on a red carpet outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Russian President also received a 21-gun salute from the People’s Liberation Army soldiers on Tiananmen Square. Many children waved Chinese and Russian flags to welcome the leaders.
Back in February 2022, days before Russia invaded Ukraine, China and Russia announced a “no limits” partnership. On Thursday, the two leaders reaffirmed this understanding between the two nations and declared the beginning of a “new era.”.
They criticised the west, particularly the U.S., for its hegemony in world affairs and disregard for internal influence, as seen in the Ukraine war. The U.S. has supplied over 80% of all the arms Ukraine has employed in its defence against Russia.
Putin also spoke about U.S. interference with Taiwan and North Korea, territories that the Chinese consider integral to their sovereignty. He also pledged total support to President Xi in future military altercations.
The leaders stated that the two nations would engage in greater economic and scientific collaboration to develop peaceful applications for nuclear technologies.
President Xi said, “The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it. China is willing to jointly achieve the development and rejuvenation of our respective countries and work together to uphold fairness and justice in the world.”.
Xi and Putin criticise U.S. hegemony in the world
President Xi blamed the U.S. for imposing stringent trade sanctions on China at a time when the nation heavily relies on foreign exports to rejuvenate its sluggish economy. The U.S. and the EU (European Union) have been imposing harsh trade restrictions on China in a bid to disrupt President Xi’s support for President Vladimir Putin.
President Xi highlighted that the U.S. has engaged in intercontinental conflicts in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Iran since its rise as a superpower during the Cold War era. Despite these numerous military interventions on record, the U.S. has maintained a hard stance against Russia in its war against Ukraine, supplying Ukraine with sophisticated military technologies and monetary aid.
President Putin criticised the U.S. for siding with Taiwan, which China considers a part of its territory. In recent years, China has increasingly promoted its ‘one China’ policy, calling for the return of its old colonies and territories that have gained independence over time.
The two leaders stated that it is time for Russia to move past the humiliation of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 and for China to forget the centuries of colonial dominance by European nations. Both agreed that the U.S. has maintained its hegemony in world affairs for far too long and called for strong opposition to U.S. interference in sovereign matters.
Experts viewed the meeting between the leaders as a precursor to greater technological, military, and economic collaboration between China and Russia and a sign of the two nations uniting against their common enemy, “the U.S.” The alliance between the two powerful opponents of the U.S. will likely create increased geopolitical resistance in key regions like Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Unless the U.S. recalibrates its foreign policy strategies to address the combined influence of its two major adversaries, the international arena remains at risk of being further polarised in this century.
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