Waiting to understand if and when there will be an interview with Volodymyr Zelensky, Chinese President Xi Jinping has formalized his trip to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin: three days, from 20 to 22 March, in which the greatest exponent of the Asian giant ” will exchange views on key international and regional issues with the Russian president.”
“The goal of the visit is to further deepen bilateral trust,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. When asked if Xi will explain in detail to Putin “the Chinese document on the political solution to the Ukrainian crisis”, Wang replied that “this time too the visit is for peace” and that “maintaining peace in the world and promoting common development are the goals of Chinese foreign policy.”
It is the first time since February 24, the day of the invasion, that Xi Jinping has flown to Russia, the 40th in the last 10 years, testifying to the existence of a consolidated relationship between the two countries. The United States and the European Union are looking at those days with apprehension, worried that Beijing might offer Moscow further support in addition to political (China has never voted on UN resolutions condemning the Russian invasion, ed) and economic support.
The Asian giant aims to replace Turkey, another country that has remained on good terms with the Kremlin, in the role of mediator: after the trip to Russia, the Chinese leader – as anticipated by the Wall Street Journal – should also have a remote conversation with Zelensky for the first time since the beginning of the war. Yesterday evening Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Kuleba, perhaps to prepare the ground for the talks.
