Xi, Putin Reaffirm Strategic Alliance at 25th SCO Summit as Wars Deepen Global Uncertainty
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 31
Xi, Putin Reaffirm Strategic Alliance at 25th SCO Summit as Wars Deepen Global Uncertainty
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 31
Summary
At their first meeting since May, Xi told Putin in Bishkek that China-Russia ties had grown “more solid” and held “even brighter” prospects despite a more uncertain international order.
Putin said cooperation was advancing “on all fronts,” while the Kremlin said the two leaders focused mainly on economic ties and discussed the Ukraine war only “in passing.”
The meeting came 4-1/2 years into Russia’s war on Ukraine and six months into the US-Iran war, with Xi and Putin again using the SCO stage to project a multipolar front against the West.
Russia’s sanctions-hit economy has grown more dependent on China, even as Western governments press Beijing to use that leverage to push Moscow toward ending its offensive.
The 2-day summit in Kyrgyzstan marks the SCO’s 25th anniversary, gathering more than a dozen leaders from a bloc that says it represents 40% of the world’s population and 25% of global GDP.