Putin says China is Russia’s ally, backs its stance on Taiwan
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Nov 7 described China as Russia’s ally and threw his weight behind Beijing’s claims over Taiwan.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SOCHI, Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Nov 7 described China as Russia’s ally and threw his weight behind Beijing’s claims over Taiwan, while stating that no countries had anything to fear from deepening Sino-Russian cooperation.
The two countries have not declared a formal military alliance, but Mr Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a “no-limits” partnership deal in 2022, less than three weeks before Mr Putin sent his troops into Ukraine.
In May 2024, they agreed to deepen what they called their “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” for a new era.
“We do not believe that China is pursuing an aggressive policy in the region,” Mr Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club think-tank in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
He suggested that Taiwan was trying to stir up a Ukraine-style crisis in Asia in order to attract outside support.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and regularly conducts war games near the island.
“A lot is going on around Taiwan. Everyone formally acknowledges, yes, Taiwan is part of China. But in reality? In reality, it is acting in a completely different direction, provoking the situation towards escalation,” Mr Putin said.
“We do support China. And because of this, we believe that (China) is conducting a completely reasonable policy. And also because it is our ally. We have a very large trade turnover, we cooperate in the security sector.”
Mr Putin compared bilateral military drills between Russia and China with those the US conducts with Japan.
“These exercises do not threaten anyone,” Mr Putin said. “They are aimed at ensuring our security.” REUTERS
