China’s defense minister congratulated Russian leader Vladimir Putin for “promoting world peace,” underscoring the warm relations between the two nations more than a year after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
(Bloomberg) — China’s defense minister congratulated Russian leader Vladimir Putin for “promoting world peace,” underscoring the warm relations between the two nations more than a year after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
A clip posted on the Chinese company NetEase Inc.’s short-video platform appears to show Li Shangfu reading prepared remarks in a meeting with Putin and Li’s Russian counterpart on Sunday.
“Mr. President is an extraordinary state leader deeply loved by the Russian people, has made excellent achievements in leading the development and revitalization of Russia, and made important contributions to promoting world peace and development,” Li said.
“I hereby pay my sincerest respects to you.”
Read: G-7 to Back Ukraine Indefinitely, Seeks Stability With China
It wasn’t clear what the source of the video was. The remarks were not included in Chinese state media’s reporting on the meeting of the three men. China’s Defense Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Li’s visit to Russia is the first by a Chinese defense minister since the war began. Beijing has been Russia’s biggest supporter since the invasion. Chinese President Xi Jinping has spoken to Putin several times on the phone over the past year, and visited Moscow in March. Xi said “China highly values the relationship with Russia” during his trip.
China has tried to cast itself as a peacemaker in the war, and unveiled a vague 12-point peace blueprint in February. Its call for a cease-fire that would freeze Russian forces in Ukraine is a non-starter for Kyiv, the US and Ukraine’s other supporters.
More: Putin Meets China’s Defense Minister, Praises Military Ties
Xi hasn’t spoken with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy since the fighting started.
In their meeting on Sunday, Putin highlighted the exchange of intelligence and joint maneuvers in the Far East and Europe, the Interfax news service reported.
Li said China was willing to “further strengthen strategic communication between the two militaries” according to state broadcaster China Central Television.
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