China and Russia building ‘more just’ world order: Beijing

China is willing to shape the international order together with Russia in a “more just and rational direction”, a senior Chinese diplomat said as the two countries’ leaders prepare to meet this week.

Under the guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, “the relationship between the two countries has always been on the right track, and both sides firmly support each other on issues relating to their core interests,” Yang Jiechi told Russian Ambassador Andrey Denisov in a meeting in Beijing on Monday.

“The Chinese side is willing to work with the Russian side to continuously implement high-level strategic cooperation between the two countries, safeguard common interests and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction,” Yang said, according to a Foreign Ministry statement

Xi plans to travel to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week for his first trip abroad since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Uzbekistan is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit Thursday and Friday, giving him a chance to meet Putin in person for the first time since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine in February.

China has sought to present itself as a neutral party in Russia’s war, despite Xi’s declaration of a “no limits” partnership with Putin weeks before the attack. While Beijing has not explicitly criticized the war, its leaders have also avoided providing sanctions relief or military supplies to Russia.

Chinese exports of cars, televisions and smartphones helped Russia fill a void when foreign brands fled. In the second quarter, 81% of Russia’s new car imports were Chinese, and Xiaomi Corp. was Russia’s best-selling smartphone maker.

Russia wants to buy millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for the war, US officials have said, a sign that international sanctions are forcing Moscow to seek help from the nation’s smaller, poorer neighbor.

The Xi-Putin meeting would add to a flurry of diplomatic activity between Beijing and Moscow in recent weeks. China and India participated in major military exercises in Russia’s Far East, while Beijing’s No. 3. official Li Zhanshu spoke in person at the Seventh Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last week.

In the meeting with Yang, Denisov said the relationship between the nations had yielded positive results, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.