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Top Chinese legislator pays official goodwill visit to Russia

By Xinhua Published: Sep 11, 2022 09:36 AM Updated: Sep 12, 2022 07:46 AM

Li Zhanshu, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, Sept. 7, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

Li Zhanshu, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, paid an official goodwill visit to Russia from Wednesday to Saturday, at the invitation of Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin.

During his visit, Li met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the country's far eastern city of Vladivostok, held talks with Volodin and Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko respectively in Moscow, and also met with leaders of the five State Duma factions.

When meeting with the Russian president, Li conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Putin. He said that under the strategic guidance and personal efforts of President Xi and President Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has maintained a strong momentum of development.

Political mutual trust, strategic coordination and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries have reached an unprecedented level, setting a good example of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation between major countries and neighboring countries, Li said.

Both China and Russia are at a critical historical stage of development and revitalization, enjoying great potential and broad prospects for cooperation, Li said.

China is willing to continue to work with Russia to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, implement the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative put forward by President Xi, and turn high-level political mutual trust into more pragmatic cooperation results, Li said.

The top Chinese legislator said he firmly believes that under the leadership of President Xi and President Putin, the two sides will raise the bilateral ties to a new level and will follow the development path in line with their national conditions and achieve the great goals of their respective development and national rejuvenation.

Li also congratulated Russia on successfully hosting the 7th Eastern Economic Forum and briefed on the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Putin asked Li to convey his best wishes to President Xi. He said that the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is special and important, and that the Russian side is satisfied with bilateral relations and cooperation with China in various fields.

Russia-China trade, especially against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, has shown a sound momentum of growth, Putin said, expressing his belief that the two sides will achieve greater goals of cooperation in this area.

More exchanges between the Russian and Chinese legislatures will play a positive role in promoting the development of bilateral relations, Putin said. He also wished the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a success.

During his talks with Volodin and Matviyenko, Li said that the important task of cooperation between the legislative bodies of China and Russia is to promote the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and provide legal protection for the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.

The NPC will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the Russian State Duma and Federation Council, tap the potential of the mechanism for regular exchanges, maintain a good momentum of high-level exchanges, and promote exchanges among friendship groups and special committees, Li said.

Li said that the NPC is ready to work with the two institutions to create a favorable environment for practical cooperation through legislation as well as examination and approval of treaties and agreements.

He added that the two sides should strengthen exchanges of experience on national governance and legislation regarding fighting against external interference, sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, among others.

Li thanked the Russian side for firmly supporting China on the Taiwan question.

Both Volodin and Matviyenko once again condemned Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region, saying that Russia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to deepen cooperation with China on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

Volodin said that the legislative bodies of Russia and China should further upgrade their cooperation, expand cooperation models, enrich cooperation content, so as to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and contribute to the development of bilateral relations.

Matviyenko extended congratulations on the great achievements made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. She said that the in-depth development of Russia-China relations has given the legislative bodies a new task of cooperation, and that both sides should actively promote cooperation in such fields as politics, economy, trade, finance and youth, as well as enhance sub-national, people-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation.

When meeting with leaders of the five State Duma factions, Li said that all the groups have demonstrated their support to enhancing friendly cooperation with China, showing that it is the broad consensus of all parties and people from all walks of life in Russia to develop the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

China is ready to maintain close contact and exchanges with all parties in Russia to consolidate the foundation of the friendship and practical cooperation between the two countries, he said.

Leaders of the five State Duma factions expressed their willingness to play an active role in intensifying inter-party exchanges between Russia and China, and make unremitting efforts to deepen the development of Russia-China relations, so as to benefit the two countries and their people.

During his stay in Moscow, Li laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visited Vladimir Lenin's former residence.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, Sept. 7, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

Li Zhanshu, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Russian State Duma, in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 8, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

Li Zhanshu, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 9, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

Li Zhanshu, chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with leaders of the five State Duma factions in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 9, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

 

[Helius]

Inviting African heads to travel all the way to Europe for their own event, and the Euro heads couldn't even be bothered to turn up.

Really shows how much European promises are worth. Not a single cent of the "pledged" billions has even been delivered, and what has China done in the meantime?

Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a group of African leaders in a virtual event that “China is making steady progress in implementing all the pledges it made in Dakar [at the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation last year], despite various difficulties and disturbances”.

He said over US$3 billion had been delivered out of the US$10 billion of credit facilities pledged to African financial institutions, and nearly US$2.5 billion of loans were channelled to Africa’s priority programmes. More than US$2 billion of the US$10 billion of trade finance had been allocated, Wang said.

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Europe’s ‘patronising’ efforts to counter Russia and China in Africa falling flat​

• EU leaders’ ‘lack of effort’ at winning over their African counterparts have left a ‘bitter taste’, according to Senegal’s President Macky Sall
• Europe has pledged hundreds of billions of dollars under the Global Gateway Initiative, designed to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Attendees pose for a group photograph at the Africa Adaptation Summit in Rotterdam, where African attendees complained about a lack of European interest. Photo: AFP

Western nations may have come up with various initiatives to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence in Africa, but African leaders have been “disappointed” by the way they go about it.

This was evident at the African Adaptation Summit in Rotterdam last week when European leaders failed to turn up for a meeting to fundraise for Africa’s climate adaptation projects.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the only European leader to attend in person, said: “I would have loved to have more of my European colleagues here.”

Six African heads of state were present, including the current African Union chairman and Senegal’s President Macky Sall, as well as leaders from Ghana, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.

Sall said: “I cannot help but note, with some bitterness, the absence of leaders from the industrial world. I think if we made the effort to leave Africa to come to Rotterdam, it would be easier for the Europeans and others to be here.

“This leaves a bad taste in our mouths. I am a bit disappointed, to be honest.”

In another incident, at the EU-Africa Summit in Brussels in February, around 40 African leaders were invited by the European Union, but at one point only the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo was reportedly present from the other side.

“It was a very bad form on the part of the Europeans. They could have coordinated to have substantive representation throughout the event,” W. Gyude Moore, a former minister of public works in Liberia, said. “Could you imagine where Africans hosted 40 European leaders at an event in Accra and then left them in the room with the president of Ghana?”

During that event, the EU announced that it would mobilise a financing package worth around US$150 billion for projects on the continent. The amount is half of what the bloc has allocated for the Global Gateway Initiative, which is touted as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

As part of the EU-Africa Summit, some deals were signed in Senegal, but progress has been overshadowed by the events in Ukraine and Covid-19. “There is a long history of unfulfilled commitments, so this might just be par for the course,” Moore said.

Observers say the EU is nervous about the fact that it is losing influence in Africa with the growing presence of China, Russia, Türkiye and other global players. But the EU is internally divided and not able to live up to its ambitions to become a stronger global player, according to Geert Laporte, the director of European Think Tanks Group.

Laporte said the new “scramble for Africa” among global players was already going on. “With the war in Ukraine, interests in Africa have grown and the Africans have skilfully managed not to take positions so as to avoid becoming again drawn into a new cold war,” Laporte said.


(First row from left) Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo, Senegalese President and African Union chief Macky Sall, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi at a summit in the Netherlands. Rutte said he wished more European leaders had turned up. Photo: AFP

He said several African leaders and their populations had lost trust in Europe with “Europe patronising, overpromising and underdelivering”.

“To turn the tide, the EU is copying China and other global players with big funding promises (Global Gateway) mainly in visible infrastructure type of initiatives. But with the war at home it is not obvious that the EU will be able to keep its promises,” Laporte noted.

The continent has recently witnessed a procession of high-profile visitors from France, the United States and Russia, but observers said America and Europe were known to make promises that they did not deliver.

Adams Bodomo, a professor of African studies at the University of Vienna, said, “the US and EU have never hidden the fact that they want to counter China”.

Each of their master plans about Africa was always constructed as an alternative to the belt and road, Bodomo argued, but the EU and EU were more talk than action. “China plans and builds but the US plans and bombs,” he added.

Bodomo said Russia’s inroads into Africa were designed to show that it was a viable alternative to Western powers in Africa, and to leverage its good relations with the continent with an eye on votes at the United Nations.

In August, when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited South Africa, Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s minister for international relations and cooperation, said it was “patronising” for some European countries to force countries to condemn Russia.

“And one thing I definitely dislike is being told ‘either you choose this or else’. When a minister speaks to me like that … I definitely will not be bullied in that way, nor would I expect any other African country worth its salt to agree to be treated [that way],” Pandor said.

South Africa is among dozens of African countries that abstained from voting on the UN resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a group of African leaders in a virtual event that “China is making steady progress in implementing all the pledges it made in Dakar [at the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation last year], despite various difficulties and disturbances”.

He said over US$3 billion had been delivered out of the US$10 billion of credit facilities pledged to African financial institutions, and nearly US$2.5 billion of loans were channelled to Africa’s priority programmes. More than US$2 billion of the US$10 billion of trade finance had been allocated, Wang said.

France, which has in the past contributed thousands of troops to bring stability to fragile West African nations, is now being challenged by Russia. France’s last troops left Mali in August, ending a nine-year anti-terror operation after Bamako accused it of supporting terrorist groups. And they are being replaced by Russian mercenaries from the Kremlin-linked Wagner mercenary group.

Moore said “the growth of both Chinese and Russian influence in Africa has heightened the pace at which their rivals and adversaries have visited the continent”.

Alex Vines, head of the Africa programme at London-based think tank Chatham House, said 25 per cent of the United Nations General Assembly was African – “the numbers game matters for many – increasingly in a world of multipolarity and increasing geopolitics”.

Vines said the Russian invasion of Ukraine happened a week after the EU-Africa summit and EU attention was focused elsewhere, but added: “Increased EU funding through the Gateway Europe initiative is still planned.”

For Russia and China, “the simply large number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa makes it a less expensive place to ‘buy’ votes in international organisations”, according to Douglas Yates, a political scientist specialising in African politics at the American Graduate School in Paris.

“Not only are these countries interested in the ideological struggles of international votes and sanctions and the like, but they make excellent grounds for espionage – because African countries often have information, and they are quite porous,” he said.

 

[siegecrossbow]

Chinese government's official position on the current Russian invasion has been neutral all along. China is unlikely to change that since providing military equipment to Russia would risk massive US sanctions and asset seizure. I don't expect this to change even after Putin Xi meeting.



When did Chinese government supply drones to Russian arm forces or the separatist forces? Russia wouldn't be buying UAVs from Iran if China was willing to supply them.

In case, you were referring to commercial DJI drones Ukrainian purchased off the internet, that's not a transfer of arms by China. Besides DJI has suspended sales in both Russia and Ukraine since April for fear of US sanctions.

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In fact, DJI is so sensitive about its drones being used in this conflict; it issued a statement disavowing military use and reemphasizing its civilian use nature when Russian embassy in China praised DJI drones on weibo.

Russian embassy in China praising DJI drones have revolutionized artillery warfare.
View attachment 97392



DJI's response
View attachment 97393

Their skin is this thick?

 

[Biscuits]

Yet another episode of "Imagine headlines if it was China". Episodes are being aired quite fast nowadays.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1568935429751328769

Public "intellectuals" will say:

"the West is so far ahead of China. Western countries built their tap system so they can directly dispense coca cola, westerners don't need to buy it in a store, just open the tap and drink"

Edit: btw did that clip copy the generic "foreboding music" that western media is instructed to pair (along with grey filter) on every news where China is?

 

[tygyg1111]

Yet another episode of "Imagine headlines if it was China". Episodes are being aired quite fast nowadays.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1568935429751328769

I think this soundtrack goes better with the video:

 

[baykalov]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1569060154896687104

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1569297537491963904

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1569253022005444608

 

[FriedButter]

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According to the minister, the plan to cap gas prices has already been outlined and, so far, has been backed by 15 member states, including Germany.

“The proposal will be issued in September. We are currently working to have a majority to support it,”Cingolani said.

The several years after the Great Recession + Debt Crisis must have taken such a huge toll that the EU is embracing masochism.

Also, they are actually serious about wanting to the gas price cap on everyone. Not just Russia.

According to the Financial Times, at least ten EU countries are pushing for a price cap on imports from all suppliers, not just Russia. Italy, Poland and Greece have reportedly spoken against the plan to limit prices only for Russian gas, which has been proposed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Kinda a shame this price cap plan is probably dead on arrival. It would have meant the implosion of the EU if they tried to enforce it on all the energy producers.

 

[Overbom]

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The several years after the Great Recession + Debt Crisis must have taken such a huge toll that the EU is embracing masochism.

Also, they are actually serious about wanting to the gas price cap on everyone. Not just Russia.



Kinda a shame this price cap plan is probably dead on arrival. It would have meant the implosion of the EU if they tried to enforce it on all the energy producers.

Qatar will murder them lol

 

[Overbom]

Shame. Every single one of them should be IDed, put on a blacklist and summarily shipped to meet their fellow cockroaches in the glorious Great Great Britain

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1569205045228617728

 

[texx1]

Their skin is this thick?

Yeah, it's hard to believe sometimes.