Moscow
\nChinese leader Xi Jinping left Russia on Wednesday after a summit with President Vladimir Putin that was a display of unity against the West, with no apparent signal of a breakthrough to end the fighting in Ukraine.
\nThe nations, eager to curb Western power, expressed concerns about Nato expansion in Asia and agreed to deepen a partnership which has grown closer since Putin launched an offensive in Ukraine.
\nXi\u2019s plane left Moscow\u2019s Vnukovo airport after being seen off by an honour guard, Russian news agencies reported, capping a visit that was a boost for the internationally-isolated Russian leader.
\nPutin said he was open to talks on Ukraine and praised Beijing\u2019s 12-point position paper on the conflict, which includes a call for dialogue and respect for all countries\u2019 territorial sovereignty.
\n\u201cMany of the provisions of the peace plan put forward by China [\u2026] can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when Kyiv and the West will be ready for it,\u201d Putin said after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
\n\u201cHowever, so far we have not seen such readiness on their part.\u201d
\nUkraine\u2019s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had invited China to talks, and is waiting for an answer from Beijing.
\n\u201cWe offered China to become a partner in the implementation of the peace formula. We passed over our formula across all channels. We invite you to dialogue. We are waiting for your answer,\u201d Zelensky told a press conference.
\nThe United States, however, said it does not see China as capable of being an impartial mediator \u2014 Washington\u2019s most direct criticism yet of Beijing\u2019s aim to be a middleman in efforts to end the conflict.
\nUnlimited possibilities
\nMoscow and Beijing have over the past years ramped up cooperation, both driven by a desire to counterbalance US global dominance.
\nThe Chinese leader\u2019s Moscow visit has been viewed as a boost for Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court warrant over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.
\n\u201cI am sure that Russian-Chinese cooperation has truly unlimited possibilities and prospects,\u201d Putin said at a state dinner following the talks, where he toasted the \u201cprosperity\u201d of Russian and Chinese people.
\nHe earlier gushed over the \u201cspecial nature\u201d of the relationship between the two countries in remarks broadcast on state television. On the second day of his visit to Moscow, Xi said ties with Russia were \u201centering a new era\u201d.
\nPutin called the talks \u201cmeaningful and frank\u201d and said that Russia, which has been largely cut out of European markets because of sanctions, would be able to meet China\u2019s \u201cgrowing demand\u201d for energy.
\nEnergy is a key focus of Xi\u2019s visit, and Putin announced the two countries had reached an agreement on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which will connect Siberia to northwest China.
\nUS \u2018undermining\u2019 global security
\nIn a joint statement, the two leaders took aim at the West, accusing the United States of undermining global security.
\n\u201cThe parties call on the United States to stop undermining international and regional security and global strategic stability in order to secure its unilateral military advantage,\u201d Russia and China said in the declaration.
\nThey also expressed \u201cgreat concern\u201d over Nato\u2019s growing presence in Asia.
\nOn Monday, Xi and Putin held four and a half hours of talks, calling each other \u201cdear friend.\u201d China and Russia have often worked in lockstep at the UN Security Council, using their veto power as permanent council members to counter the West.
\nRussia\u2019s assault on Ukraine has also deepened fears among Western powers that China could one day try to take control of the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of its territory.
\nChina has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington has said Beijing\u2019s moves could be a \u201cstalling tactic\u201d to help Moscow.
\nThe United States has also accused Beijing of mulling arms exports to Moscow, claims China has vociferously denied.
\nJapan\u2019s PM in Kyiv
\nXi\u2019s trip coincides with a surprise visit to Kyiv by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who visited Bucha, a town where Russian forces were accused of committing atrocities during their occupation last year.
\n\u201cOur talks with Kishida were quite productive,\u201d Zelensky said in his evening address.
\n\u201cI also heard a very concrete willingness of Japan to work together with us to even more actively mobilise the world for international order, to protect against aggression, to protect against Russian terror,\u201d he said.
\nKishida, the last Group of Seven leader to visit the country, had come under increasing pressure to make the trip, as Japan hosts the group\u2019s summit this May.
\nZelensky confirmed on Tuesday he would participate in the G7 summit via video link.
\nAnd the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with Ukraine on a four-year loan package worth around $15.6 billion \u2014 intended to support European Union accession talks and reconstruction in the conflict-hit country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Moscow Chinese leader Xi Jinping left Russia on Wednesday after a summit with President Vladimir Putin that was a display of unity against the West, with no apparent signal of a breakthrough to end the fighting in Ukraine. The nations, eager to curb Western power, expressed concerns about Nato expansion in Asia and agreed to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":321211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-321197","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n