Chinese Ambassador called the statement about “boundless friendship” with Russia a rhetorical device

The statement about “boundless friendship” between Moscow and Beijing is nothing more than a rhetorical device. According to RBC with reference to The New York Times, this was stated by Chinese Ambassador to the European Union Fu Cong before a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

According to the Chinese diplomatic representative, critics misinterpret the statement of the leaders of the two countries on cooperation. “[Дружба] without limits” is nothing but rhetoric,” he said, commenting on last year’s declaration by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Fu Cong also said that Beijing does not support the military operation in Ukraine, does not recognize Crimea as Russian — as well as the territories that became part of Russia following the results of referendums last fall — and does not provide military support to Moscow.

The ambassador added that Beijing did not condemn the military operation, as it understands Russia’s accusations against NATO, and the Chinese authorities believe that the “true reasons” are more complicated than Western leaders say.

In turn, the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said that the bilateral contacts between the leaders of Russia and China, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, as well as the documents they signed, reflect the real level of relations between the two countries, and they should be guided by.

“We focus on the content of the contacts that took place between Putin and Xi Jinping recently in Moscow. And actually the whole context of them is set out in two signed statements that were adopted. And it is they who cover the entire range of issues on the joint agenda,” Peskov said.

A joint statement by the leaders of the two countries, stating that friendship between Russia and China “has no borders” and “there are no forbidden zones” in cooperation, was signed after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China in early February last year. Then he arrived in Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, and also negotiated with the head of China.

The document, signed after the meeting, also says that the parties are deeply concerned about “challenges in the field of international security”, oppose NATO expansion and call for abandoning the approaches of the Cold War era.

Last March, Xi Jinping came to Moscow for talks with the Russian President. The visit lasted two days. During this time, Putin and Xi held a four-and-a-half-hour closed-door meeting and three-hour talks, followed by a joint press conference. As a result of the visit, the leaders of the two countries signed two joint documents on the development of partnership between the states.

Before the meeting, Putin wrote in an article for the Chinese newspaper People’s Daily that relations between Moscow and Beijing are at the highest level in the history of development and are now entering a new era. He also wrote that in this alliance “there is no leader and follower, there are no restrictions or forbidden topics,” and the political dialogue between Moscow and Beijing “has become extremely confidential.”

Xi Jinping, during his visit to Russia, called relations between countries an exemplary example of relations between great powers. According to him, they have become stronger, more stable and continue to develop “in the spirit of equality, support and common prosperity.” Relations between Moscow and Beijing serve as an example of “friendship between gentlemen,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.