Putin to Xi: Russian-Chinese relations developing dynamically

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Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the 73rd anniversary of China's National Day, saying that Beijing and Moscow develop all-round partnership despite the complicated international situation in different areas, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

In a statement, the Kremlin pointed out that "Russian-Chinese relations are developing dynamically in the spirit of all-round partnership and strategic interaction."

"Despite the complicated international situation, we are cooperating successfully in the most diverse areas, pooling our efforts to build a more democratic and equitable world order and to counter modern threats and challenges," the statement read.

The Russian President reaffirmed Moscow's readiness to continue the bilateral dialogue and close joint work with Beijing for the benefit of the friendly nations of Russia and China, the Kremlin statement highlighted.

Russia-China gas trade reaches all-time high

It is noteworthy that the Russian Embassy in China said on September 21 that the trade of coal and natural gas exports to China reached a historical peak in the month of August.

"China imported a total of $409.37 million worth of natural gas from Russia in August, according to China's General Administration of Customs (GACC). This figure is the highest since at least January 2017, the maximum available observation period of Chinese customs," the mission said on Telegram.

Exports of Russian coal to China also reached 8.5 million tonnes in August, the highest in five years according to the mission, whereas in July, the supply increased by 15%, with a 57% year-on-year growth rate.

When the Ukrainian issue initially began in 2014, Russia and China signed a 30-year gas deal worth $400 billion which was needed to make feasible the construction of the "Power of Siberia," the Gazprom-operated pipeline in Eastern Siberia that transports natural gas from Yakutia to Primorsky Krai and China.

This 30-year-long project, which Russian President Vladimir Putin called the "world's biggest construction project," is expected to bring $400 billion (€363 billion) into Russia's economy. 

"This step takes Russo-Chinese strategic cooperation in energy to a qualitatively new level and brings us closer to fulfilling the task, set together with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, of taking bilateral trade to $200 billion (€181 billion) by 2024," said Putin when the pipeline was launched in 2019.

In February 2022, Putin and Xi Jinping again reaffirmed the goal of reaching $200 billion in bilateral trade by 2024 after the previous threshold of $100 billion was attained in 2018.

Last year, the trade turnover between the two countries went up 35.8%, standing at a record $146.887 billion.

On September 9, chairman of the Chinese Standing Committee Li Zhanshu said that annual trade between the two countries may reach a record of $200 billion by the end of 2022, which would mean a 37% increase in annual bilateral trade. 

Beijing criticized Western anti-Russia sanctions, arms deliveries to Kiev

Since being slammed with unprecedented Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, Russia has moved to strengthen connections with Asian countries, particularly China. Adding to Sino-Western tensions, Beijing criticized Western sanctions and arms deliveries to Kiev.

In mid-September, China's foreign policy official Yang Jiechi indicated that his country was ready to work with Russia with the aim to promote shared interests and a common vision of fairer world order.

"China is ready to work together with Russia to fill high-level strategic cooperation between the two countries with new meaning, protect shared interests and promote a fairer and more reasonable world order," Yang said.

He highlighted that the two sides' ties had been moving forward steadily along the right path under presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, with the two countries backing each other in securing their interests and cooperating at the international level.

Russia, China agree to deepen defense cooperation, joint exercises

On September 19, Moscow's Security Council stressed that Russia and China agree to deepen defense cooperation with a focus on holding joint exercises.

"The sides agreed on further military cooperation with a focus on joint exercises and patrols, as well as on strengthening contacts between the General Staffs," the Council affirmed.

In early September, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told a news briefing for foreign military attachés that Russia and China have practiced joint operations by warships and aircraft during the Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise.

He stressed that "the joint use of aircraft and warships by Russia and China was the main feature of the exercise."