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News analysis: Why is Chinese President Xi Jinping going to Russia?

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At the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from March 20-22, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced.

This will be Xi Jinping’s first trip overseas since being elected president of China for a third term earlier this month.

The visit is set to map out the blueprint for developing the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the ministry, told media at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday, minutes after the announcement.

President Xi’s visit will be a trip of friendship, cooperation and peace, said Wang.

Analysts say China has been developing its relations with Russia on the basis of no alliance, no confrontation and no targeting of any third party, and they criticize Washington’s Cold War mentality in framing the ties.

China and Russia: Friendship of integrity, openness

Now Xi is about to set foot on Russian soil for the ninth time as Chinese president. Notably, Russia was also the destination of his first state visit after becoming president for the first time in 2013.

On his last visit to Russia in 2019, the two countries celebrated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In 2021, the two presidents commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between China and Russia and decided to extend the pact.

Over the past 10 years, China and Russia cooperated actively under the guidance of the two heads of state, Yuri Tavrovsky, a professor of the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship, told Xinhua. Tavrovsky said he expects the leaders of the two countries will open up more new areas for bilateral cooperation in the future.

In a recent interview, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui hailed the state of China-Russia economic and trade cooperation. In 2022, the bilateral trade hit a record high of $190.27 billion, up 120 percent compared with 10 years ago, said Zhang.

The proportion of settlements in local currencies continued to grow, with Russian banks extensively carrying out transactions in the RMB currency, said the ambassador.

“It is clear that the China-Russia contact is not the alleged alliance between a big brother and a little one,” said an international affairs commentator who goes by the pen name Chaoyang Shaoxia in a social media post.

“Instead, it is a friendship of integrity and openness that seeks win-win outcome between gentlemen.”

Regarding Xi’s visit next week, the commentator said it is only natural for leaders of the two neighbors to maintain regular contact and visits, “with or without the Ukraine crisis.”

Other countries cannot dictate the way China and Russia develop their relations, he said.

No targeting of any third party

In recent years, the United States has ramped up its efforts to contain China and Russia. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, Washington has tried to weaken Russia when it urges Kyiv to “fight until the very last Ukrainian.” Meanwhile, it is promoting an “Indo-Pacific version of NATO,” an alliance system to tighten the siege of China.

In doing so, Washington wants to instigate a new Cold War where the U.S. and Europe would be fighting against China and Russia, said an analyst for Chaoyang Shaoxia.

“However, when the U.S. looks at China-Russia relations through the filter of the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game, it only sees the reflection of its own image,” he said.

He added that Washington’s containment of the two countries has backfired since it only produces an increasingly close “back-to-back” collaborative relationship between Beijing and Moscow.

The analyst warned that closeness might make the U.S. more anxious and insecure since Washington has long seen an alliance between China and Russia, and possibly Iran, as the greatest potential threat to its national security.

China has long made clear that its relations with Russia don’t target any third country and urged no Cold War mentality in international relations.

The way China and Russia develop their strategic partnership of coordination will benefit the two peoples and the world at large, reiterated the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson when briefing the media about Xi’s trip to the country.

“It is entirely different from what certain countries have been doing, including holding on to the Cold War mentality, ganging up with other countries, putting up cliques and stoking bloc confrontation and engaging in hegemonic, domineering and bullying practices,” said Wang Wenbin.

No blame game on Ukraine

The visit of the Chinese leader to Russia comes amid intensifying geopolitical tensions worldwide, the escalating Ukraine crisis in particular.

At Friday’s press briefing, Wang underscored that Xi’s visit will be a trip for peace. China will uphold an objective and fair position on the Ukraine crisis and play a constructive role in promoting talks for peace, he said.

During a phone call with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba briefed Qin on the conflict’s latest developments and the prospect of peace talks.

Kuleba said China’s position paper on the political settlement of the crisis shows its sincerity in promoting a ceasefire and an end to the conflict, and expressed the hope to maintain communication with China.

“We have reasons to believe that during the visit [by President Xi] to Russia, China will, as always, speak out for peace and do its best for peace,” said Chaoyang Shaoxia.

Though neither a maker nor a party to the Ukraine crisis, China has repeatedly made headlines in the U.S. media because of the crisis. A recent example is when U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan claimed without evidence that “China is considering providing lethal weapons to Russia” and threatened “real costs” for Beijing “if it goes down that road.”

When some in the U.S. trumpet that China should not support “Russia’s aggression” and Beijing must play a role in “persuading Russia to stop the war,” what they really mean is to shift the blame and hold China accountable for the prolonged conflict, said Chaoyang Shaoxia.

However, it is the United States that does not want the Ukraine crisis to cool down, he said, adding that the key to solving the crisis is not in the hands of China but in those of the U.S. and the West.

If they really want China to play a constructive role, the U.S. and the West should support China’s efforts and work together with it, he said.

“[They should] stop manipulating behind the scenes, pouring oil on the fire, diverting conflicts [and] smearing China with false accusations or even threatening it with sanctions.”

Source(s): CGTN

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Israel truce team leaves Doha, official blames Hamas for ‘dead end’

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Israel has recalled its negotiators from Doha after deeming mediated talks on a Gaza truce “at a dead end” due to demands by Hamas, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday.

The official, who is close to the Mossad spymaster heading up the talks, accused Hamas’ Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar of sabotaging the diplomacy “as part of a wider effort to inflame this war over Ramadan”.

The warring sides had stepped up negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a six-week suspension of Israel’s offensive in return for the proposed release of 40 of the 130 hostages still held by the Palestinian militant group in Gaza.

Hamas has sought to parlay any deal into an end to the fighting and withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel has ruled this out, saying it would eventually resume efforts to dismantle the governance and military capabilities of Hamas.

Hamas also wants hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled Gaza City and surrounding areas southward during the first stage of the almost six-month-old war to be allowed back north.

The Israeli official said that Israel had agreed to double the number of Palestinians it would release in exchange for the hostages to 700-800 prisoners and allow some displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday that Hamas had made “delusional” demands, which it said showed the Palestinians were not interested in a deal.

In Tel Aviv, a crowd of around 300 family members of hostages and their supporters gathered outside the Israeli defense headquarters demanding a deal be done to release the captives. Some locked themselves inside cages in protest, holding placards with photos of their loved ones. “No price is too high,” one of the signs said.

Hamas has accused Israel of stalling at the talks while it carries out its military offensive.

The discussions in Doha are continuing as Palestinians in Gaza face severe shortages of food, medicine and hospital care, and concerns grow that famine will take hold.

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The vote was abstained by the U.S., prompting Netanyahu to cancel a planned visit by a government delegation to Washington.

Source(s): CGTN

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UN Security Council passes resolution demanding ceasefire in Gaza for Ramadan

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The Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution that demands an immediate cease-fire in Gaza for the holy month of Ramadan.

The resolution, winning 14 votes in favor among the 15 members of the council, was the first Security Council resolution that demands or calls for a ceasefire in Gaza after the flare-up of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza on October 7, 2023.

The United States, which had previously vetoed three draft resolutions that would have called for or demanded a ceasefire in Gaza, abstained on Monday, allowing the draft to pass.

Hamas welcomed the adoption of the resolution. In a statement, it called on the Security Council to pressure Israel to commit to a ceasefire and to stop “the war of extermination” against the Palestinian people.

It also highlighted its readiness to engage in a prisoner exchange process immediately, emphasized the need to reach a permanent ceasefire and demanded the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip,

After the United States’ abstention, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the cancellation of a planned visit to Washington by a delegation comprising senior Israeli officials.

Netanyahu accused the U.S. of “retreating” from a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the ceasefire on the release of hostages held by Hamas.

China calls for implementation of the resolution

A Chinese envoy on Monday called for the implementation of the just-adopted Security Council resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for Ramadan.

“Nearly six months after the outbreak of the conflict, over 32,000 Palestinian civilians have lost their lives. For those, Monday’s resolution comes too late. But for the millions of people in Gaza who remain mired in an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, this resolution, if fully and effectively implemented, could still bring long-awaited hope,” said Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations.

“Security Council resolutions are binding. We call on the parties concerned to fulfill their obligations under the UN Charter and to take due action as required by the resolution,” he said. “We expect the states with significant influence to play a positive role on the parties concerned, including by using all necessary and effective means at their disposal to support the implementation of the resolution.”

A ceasefire for Ramadan is only the first step, it must serve as a basis for a permanent and sustainable cessation of hostilities, said the Chinese ambassador in an explanation of vote.

Differences between two drafts

“We did not agree with everything with the resolution,” the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said.

In her explanation of vote, Thomas-Greenfield said the resolution was “nonbinding.” She also said, “It was important for the Council to speak out and make clear that any ceasefire must come with the release of all hostages.”

China, together with Algeria and Russia, voted against a draft resolution tabled by the United States on Friday. “A comparison of the two drafts shows the differences,” said Zhang Jun in an explanation of vote.

Monday’s draft is unequivocal and correct in its direction, demanding an immediate ceasefire, while the U.S. draft was evasive and ambiguous. Monday’s draft demands an unconditional ceasefire, while the U.S. draft set preconditions for a ceasefire. Monday’s draft reflects the general expectations of the international community and enjoys the collective support of the Arab states, while the U.S. draft was rejected by the Arab states, Zhang said.

“The differences between the two drafts boil down to nothing but whether there should be an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and whether the collective punishment of the people in Gaza should be allowed to continue,” Zhang said. “On this issue, China, like most members of the international community, has been very clear from the very outset. Whether we voted against last Friday, or in favor of today, our vote has been based on our consistent position and proposition.”

Before the vote on the draft resolution tabled by the 10 elected members of the Security Council, Russia proposed an oral amendment but failed to obtain enough support in the council.

The Russian proposal would have restored the word “permanent” contained in the original draft to demand a Ramadan ceasefire that would lead to a permanent and sustainable ceasefire.

The United States voted against the Russian amendment. Eleven members abstained. Three voted in favor.

Countries react resolution on ceasefire

In a joint statement, the 10 elected members of the Security Council expressed the hope that Resolution 2728 will be implemented in good faith, by all parties, and will help ease the suffering of the population in Gaza.

Immediately after the adoption of the resolution, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for its implementation.

“The Security Council just approved a long-awaited resolution on Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable,” Guterres said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In a statement, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry welcomed the UN decision and called on all parties to comply with their obligations under international law and to expand humanitarian aid to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also welcomed the adoption of the resolution, saying the decision “constitutes the first step towards halting Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.”

Source(s): CGTN

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Egypt, UN warn against Israeli operation in Gaza’s Rafah

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CAIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and visiting United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday voiced complete rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their territories and any Israeli military operation in the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah.

During their talks in Cairo, the two leaders warned against any Israeli operation in Rafah to unleash catastrophic consequences on the already dire situation in the city, said the Egyptian presidency in a statement.

They also discussed the intensified efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and deliver sufficient humanitarian aid to people in the besieged enclave, the statement added.

The president and the UN chief called for favorable conditions for implementing the two-state solution, calling it “the only path to achieve justice, security, and stability in the region.”

Israel has been announcing plans to launch a large-scale ground operation in Rafah, where about 1.5 million internally displaced Palestinians reside, a move widely rejected by the international community.

Later in the day, at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, the UN chief reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel has imposed a strict siege and launched continued heavy strikes against Hamas for over five months.

“The time for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire is now,” he said.

Israel’s ongoing strikes in Gaza have so far killed 32,226 Palestinians and injured 74,518 others, the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry updated in a statement on Sunday. The Israeli escalation came in retaliation for the attack launched by Gaza-ruling Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, on adjacent Israeli towns, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.

“Nothing justifies the horrific attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, and nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres told a press conference on Saturday at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, where he renewed the peace call.

Source(s): Xinhua

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