Xi, Putin warn Hormuz crisis poses threat to trade

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin expressed their opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran on Wednesday, while warning that restrictions on shipping imposed by “individual states” threatened global trade, in a veiled reference to Tehran, which has blocked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US and Israeli strikes against Iran are illegal and seriously undermine stability in the Middle East, said a joint statement issued at the end of their day-long talks here.

It also criticised US President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome shield defence plan.

The implementation of the Golden Dome project- a multilayer missile defence system initiated by Trump – would have “serious negative consequences for international security”, according to the joint statement released by the Kremlin.

Putin’s visit to Beijing followed days after Trump’s tour here during which the Iran war, opening of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran dominated their talks.

Both China and Russia are strong strategic allies of Iran, sharing military and commercial ties while disregarding US sanctions on Tehran for its nuclear programme. Salient points of the joint statement issued by Tass said Russia and China consider the actions of “individual states” to restrict shipping a threat to global trade, an apparent reference to the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

In retaliation for Iran’s action to block commercial ships from crossing the Strait, the US blockaded Iran’s ports, which affected Iranian supplies to China, a major importer of Iranian oil.

Earlier, Putin and Xi called for an immediate end to hostilities in West Asia, saying the situation had reached a “critical juncture”.

Welcoming Putin at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said renewed fighting in the Gulf and the wider West Asia must be avoided and stressed that negotiations should continue.

An early end to the conflict will help ease disruptions to energy supplies, industrial and supply chains, and the international trade order, Xi said.

The meeting is being closely watched as both China and Russia are key strategic partners of Iran with close economic and military ties to Tehran and could influence its tough stand on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has triggered a major global energy crisis.

On the Russia-Ukraine war, the joint statement said Russia and China believe it is necessary to address the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis.

Russia values China’s objective and unbiased position on Ukraine.

China, which shares close ties with Russia, has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At the end of their talks, the two sides signed 20 deals, according to Russia’s state-run Tass news agency.

The Xi-Putin summit is likely to cement their strategic partnership and coordination at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and turmoil.

The two leaders reported topics ranging from economic cooperation to the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, which has dragged on for more than four years with no end in sight.

Also, energy cooperation topped the agenda. According to Russian officials, China’s import of Russian energy sources has gone up by 10 per cent after the Iran war.

Both countries share a border and have extensive pipelines for oil and gas. Russia proposed the Power of Serbia 2 pipeline to deliver gas from its west to northern China via Mongolia, a project that could replace Moscow’s lost European markets while reducing Beijing’s reliance on seaborne energy, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

In his talks with Putin, Xi described the international situation as “fluid and turbulent” and, in an apparent criticism of Trump’s policies, said that “unilateralism and hegemonism are resurging”.

“Yet peace, development and cooperation remain the aspiration of the people and the prevailing trend of our times,” he said.

Calling for closer China-Russia coordination, Xi said the two countries should work together to make the global governance system more just and reasonable.

Putin, who is on his 25th visit to China, referred to Xi as “dear friend” and highlighted the close coordination and cooperation between the two strategic partners.

“We are really happy to see you, and we constantly synchronise watches — both personally and through our aides,” he said, referring to the countries closely aligning their policies.

The relationship between Russia and China has “reached unprecedented heights, serving as an example of a genuinely comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, he said.

Terming Russia-China ties as a stabilising factor, Putin said Moscow and Beijing have been defending all countries’ right to be different and choose a sovereign development path amid a polycentric world order currently in the making:

“A complex process of a polycentric world is currently underway, based on the balance of interests of all participants. Together with our Chinese friends, we are defending the diversity of cultures and civilisations and the respect of sovereign development of nations as we seek to build a fairer and more democratic world order,” he said.

The two leaders also agreed to further extend the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation, signed 25 years ago.

Xi said the treaty had laid the institutional foundation for long-term friendship and comprehensive strategic coordination between the two countries, adding that bilateral ties had achieved leapfrog development since then.

Ahead of the talks, Putin was accorded a ceremonial welcome by Xi.

In a video message issued ahead of his visit, Putin said Russia-China ties had reached an unprecedented level and noted that bilateral trade had crossed USD 200 billion, with transactions increasingly being conducted in rubles and yuan