Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3.
Xi indicated his support for Russia on the subject of its full-scale war on Ukraine, saying on the sidelines of the summit that China "has always stood on the right side of history."
In what was the second meeting of the two leaders in the last two months, Xi and Putin concurred that the bilateral relations were at a historical highpoint, and jointly protect "regional tranquility and stability."
In turn, Putin also voiced opposition to outside interference in the South China Sea, where China has sought to further spread its influence and territorial control, putting it at odds with U.S. allies and interests in the region.
Although China officially maintains a neutral stance on Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine and denies providing lethal aid, Beijing and Moscow continue to strengthen their ties. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said earlier in July that Russia's reliance on China has developed to the point where Beijing could end a war with one phone call.
Various countries, including the U.S., have accused China of continuously aiding Russia's war machine in Ukraine by providing machine tools, weapons technology, satellite imagery, semiconductors, and other dual-use technologies.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
