“What can be said that is no secret, in terms of priority, is that the chairman of the People’s Republic of China is expected in Russia next year,” Morgulov told Russia’s state agency RIA Novosti.
Putin visited China in February 2022, proclaiming a “no-limits” partnership just days before invading Ukraine. Xi Jinping made a state visit to Moscow in March 2023, marking his first international trip after being reelected for a third term.
Putin returned to Beijing in May last year after his reelection, declaring a “new era” of relations focused on countering US policies.
Morgulov also told RIA Novosti that China, which has refrained from condemning Russia’s 34-month war against Ukraine, understands the roots of the conflict “as much as they are coming up against many of the same challenges — the U.S. and its allies are boosting pressure on China in the Asia-Pacific region.”
According to him, NATO is allegedly “developing plans to relocate its military infrastructure” to the region. He stated that Russia and China must jointly respond to US policies.
“In the international arena, it is up to our countries to respond further with a ‘dual counter-action’ to the ‘dual deterrence’ which the West is trying to pursue with regard to Russia and China,” Morgulov said.
According to a survey by the Rating group, in February 2024, China moved into the category of unfriendly countries: 58% of Ukrainians consider China hostile.
Only 22% of Ukrainians trust China as a mediator in possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
