On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed international delegates at the Belt and Road forum in Beijing, saying that Russia and China shared the desire for “equal, mutually beneficial cooperation” in the world.
This week, Beijing is hosting representatives of 130 nations for a forum on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vast trade and infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative.
At the top of the guest list is Putin, who is on his first trip to a significant global power since the Russian invasion of Ukraine tossed his power into international isolation.
Putin said Wednesday, “Russia and China, like most countries in the world, share the desire for equal, mutually beneficial cooperation in order to achieve universal sustainable and long-term economic progress and social well-being, while respecting civilizational diversity and the right of each state to its own development model.”
Xi and Putin met on Tuesday evening at an event kicking off the forum, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.
They are due to hold in-depth talks on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday, with the battle fuming between Israel and the Palestinian militant organization Hamas looming large over the summit.
