China’s Xi meets Russia's Putin in Moscow
US officials criticize Xi for giving Putin ‘diplomatic cover’ for unjust war in Ukraine
China President Xi Jinping met with Russia President Vladimir Putin for four hours of informal talks to begin a three-day state visit in Moscow.
“China will work with Russia to uphold true multilateralism, promote a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations, and help make global governance more just and equitable,” Xi said in an arrival statement according to the state-run Xinhua news service.
Xi and Putin were seen on Russian state television sitting in chairs next to each other separated by a small table with flowers in front of a fireplace. The two appeared relaxed and each referred to the other as “dear friend”.
Putin said he had “carefully studied” Beijing’s peace proposal for Ukraine and Moscow was “always open to the negotiation process”. Xi said the two countries shared “many similar goals” and “with cooperation and interaction, we will definitely achieve these goals.”
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Xi told Putin when they met on Monday: “The majority of countries support easing tensions, advocate peace negotiations, and oppose pouring oil on the fire. Historically, conflicts must finally be settled through dialogue and negotiations,” according to a Chinese summary of the meeting.
Later, the two shared a lunch of venison and quail. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that over dinner, Putin and Xi will likely include a "detailed explanation" of Moscow's actions in Ukraine, according to The Associated Press.
Putin and Xi will hold formal talks with delegations of government officials on Tuesday and address the news media. Xi will be feted by Putin at a state dinner in the historic Kremlin banquet hall on Tuesday night.
Xi’s posture of calling for a ceasefire and his cautious rhetoric in the lead up to the meeting suggests China is not prepared to give Russia the full economic and military support it would need to reverse setbacks in Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War. It remains unclear whether Beijing will provide Russia with weapons.
US officials criticize Xi’s visit
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Xi’s visit to Moscow. “We expect that China may use this visit to reiterate calls for a ceasefire under its peace proposal,” Blinken said in remarks at the State Department in Washington.
“Calling for a ceasefire that does not include the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest,” Blinken said.
Further, Xi’s visit to Moscow just days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, “suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine,” Blinken said. He added “instead of even condemning them, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those very crimes.”
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said in an MSNBC television interview on Monday that Xi’s visit lends support to Russian claims about the war.
“Clearly, he's making with his presence a very demonstrable message, sending a very demonstrable message about his support for what Mr. Putin is doing, at least tacitly, and certainly continuing to support the Russian narrative about this war,” Kirby said.
Xi has not “taken off the table” the prospect of China supplying Russia with weapons although, outside of some dual-use items, Beijing has thus far largely refrained from doing so, Kirby said.
Sri Lanka gets IMF bailout
Sri Lanka will receive a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund giving the indebted country a financial lifeline.
Struggling with an economic crisis, the country defaulted on loans from international lenders in May last year. China is Sri Lanka’s largest lender and the Sri Lankan government has been seeking to restructure its $7 billion in debt to China.
Sri Lanka plans to raise funds by restructuring state-owned enterprises and privatizing the national airline, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told the BBC.
US to release intel on Wuhan lab
A US bill requiring the release of US intelligence information on COVID-19 and the Chinese virus research lab in Wuhan has been signed into law by President Joe Biden.
“In 2021, I directed the Intelligence Community to use every tool at its disposal to investigate the origin of COVID-19, and that work is ongoing,” Biden said in a statement.
“We need to get to the bottom of COVID-19’s origins to help ensure we can better prevent future pandemics,” the president said.
“In implementing this legislation, my administration will declassify and share as much of that information as possible.”
The US Department of Energy recently reported to Congress its analysts had concluded it was more likely than not that the pandemic started with release of the virus from the Wuhan lab. The FBI had earlier reached the same conclusion, though neither agency has publicly offered evidence.
Other scientists have postulated the virus may have come from Raccoon Dogs in the Wuhan wildlife market where many of the outbreak’s first human cases of infection were recorded.