SCO Summit 2022: 3 key takeaways from China-Russia talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit. The ongoing war in Ukraine overshadowed the bilateral talks between Russia and China, both of which currently share strained relations with the West.

World leaders and representatives of other Asian and Middle Eastern countries are also attending the summit, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif. 

Also Read: SCO 2022: Why Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping coming closer may forge a new world order

Putin also met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, whose country is on track to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. 

Here are the 3 key takeaways from the bilateral talks between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin:

-China’s “balanced” stance on Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday for his “balanced” approach to the Ukrainian crisis and blasted Washington’s “ugly” policies at a meeting that followed a major setback for Moscow on the battlefield.

“We highly appreciate the well-balanced position of our Chinese friends in connection with the Ukrainian crisis,” Putin said, facing Xi across a long table.

China does not mention Ukraine

A Chinese government statement issued after the meeting didn’t specifically mention Ukraine, but said Xi promised “strong support” to Russia’s “core interests”, news agency Associated Press reported.

While the statement gave no details, Beijing uses “core interests” to describe issues such as national sovereignty and the ruling Communist Party’s claim to Taiwan, over which it is willing to go to war.

Also Read: SCO Summit 2022: How the event can be significant for India

Putin’s criticism of the US and allies

Speaking at the start of his one-on-one talks with Xi, Putin blasted efforts by the United States and its allies to dominate global affairs.

“Attempts to create a unipolar world have recently taken an absolutely ugly shape. They are absolutely unacceptable for the vast majority of countries on the globe,” he said in opening remarks.