At the Valdai forum in Sochi Vladimir Putin made clear statements about Russiaʼs stance towards China and Taiwan situation. The Russian leader called China an ally highlighting their growing partnership (which started about 2 years ago with a no-limits agreement) and defended Beijingʼs regional policies
Putin pointed out issues around Taiwan saying: “Everyone formally acknowledges yes Taiwan is part of China but in reality its acting in a completely different direction“ He suggested that Taiwan might be trying to create a Ukraine-like crisis in Asia to get outside help
The relationship between Moscow and Beijing got stronger after they signed new cooperation deals last spring; their partnership includes:
- Growing trade connections
- Joint security measures
- Military training programs
- Strategic partnership development
Speaking about joint military exercises with China Putin compared them to US-Japan drills – “These exercises dont threaten anyone; they are aimed at ensuring our security.“ He dismissed worries about growing cooperation between Moscow and Beijing saying that no countries should feel unsafe
The Russian leader expressed full backing for what he called Chinaʼs reasonable policy in the region emphasizing that accusations of aggressive behavior were wrong. Xi Jinping and Putin have been working on making their countries partnership stronger since early-2022‚ focusing on mutual support and development