Bilateral talks between Chinese Leader Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin began on Wednesday in the Chinese capital, Beijing.
The discussions addressed a range of pressing issues – particularly the conflict in the Middle East – amidst a mutual rejection of America’s new “Golden Dome” missile defense system project, as well as plans to deploy weapons in space.
The two presidents also declared their rejection of treacherous military strikes against other countries, the use of negotiations as a cover for preparing attacks and assassinating leaders of sovereign states, destabilizing internal situations, and pushing for regime change by force.
They asserted that such actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Beijing emphasized the necessity of an immediate and comprehensive end to the wars in the Middle East without delay.
Joint statement
In a joint statement published by the Kremlin, Putin and Xi Jinping said that the global situation is becoming increasingly complex, and the global peace and development agenda is facing new risks and challenges.
They also warned of the “danger of the disintegration of the international community and a return to the law of the jungle,” condemning attempts by some countries to unilaterally manage world affairs and impose their interests on the entire world.
During the talks, Xi Jinping explained that the Middle East and the Gulf region are at a critical juncture between war and peace, stressing that a comprehensive ceasefire is imperative and cannot be delayed any longer.
He emphasized that the continuation of the war casts a shadow over energy supplies, industrial and supply chains, and the international trading system.
The Russian President said: “We, along with China, are committed to a multipolar world and strive for a more just global order,” noting that his country’s cooperation with China on foreign policy issues is a key factor for stability on the international stage.
Political expert weighs in
A political expert and researcher at the Al-Ahram Center for Studies, Moataz Salama, explained that despite some implicit differences between Moscow and Beijing’s visions of the global order, both sides agree on rejecting American hegemony or unipolarity.
Salama added that the world has reached a crossroads between an era characterized by the undisputed unipolarity of the US and the emergence of a new pole: China.
He explained that it is difficult to determine whether the global system is heading towards multipolarity, bipolarity, or unipolarity, considering that there are different levels through which global poles multiply.
The US, Russia, and China stand out as military poles, he explained, and on the economic level, the US and China reign supreme.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
