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Chinese Premier Li Qiang was appointed to the role last month. Photo: AP

China’s new Premier Li Qiang calls for more ‘practical cooperation’ with Russia

  • Li’s call with Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin comes at a time when China’s growing closeness to Moscow is facing close scrutiny in the West
  • Call comes ahead of visit to Beijing by Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, who are expected to push China over its stance on Ukraine
China’s Premier Li Qiang held a phone conversation with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday, calling on both sides to deepen “practical cooperation” amid close scrutiny in the West of Beijing’s tilt towards Moscow.
The phone call was the first of its kind after Li was appointed during the annual meeting of China’s top legislature last month and follows Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent trip to Russia, where he met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Xi and Putin hailed a “new era” in relation during their meeting in Moscow last month, where they discussed topics including bilateral cooperation and the Ukraine war.

The previous year the two signed a “no limits” partnership agreement just weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The government departments of the two countries should implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state well and promote the continuous new development of China-Russia practical cooperation,” Li said.

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Tuesday’s call came on the eve of a joint visit by French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who are expected to press Xi over the Ukraine war.

During the call, Li told Mishustin that China-Russia ties have maintained “a high level of development” and should adhere to mutual trust and benefit, the CCTV report said.

Li went on to say the relationship adheres to the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and not targeting third parties, while Xi’s meeting with Putin “pointed to a new direction for bilateral cooperation”.

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Xi and Putin deepen China-Russia partnership in Moscow talks, but no Ukraine peace deal details

Xi and Putin deepen China-Russia partnership in Moscow talks, but no Ukraine peace deal details

Mishustin said Russia-China relations are currently at the highest level in history, according to CCTV, and called for further cooperation.

During the meeting between Xi and Putin in March, the two leaders pledged to “significantly increase” trade between their two countries by 2030, and Putin threw his weight behind wider globalisation of the Chinese yuan, a move aimed at weakening the dominant power of the US dollar in international trade.

Two-way trade in 2022 rose 34.3 per cent to a record high of 1.3 trillion yuan (US$189.5 billion). Xi and Putin have set a goal of US$200 billion by 2024.

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Russia’s economy has grown increasingly reliant on China. Under the shadow of intensifying sanctions by Western countries, Russian imports from China rose 20 per cent during the first two months of 2023 compared with the same period last year,

The two countries agreed to promote cooperation in areas including e-commerce, finance, energy, technology and food security.

Xi’s visit, which lasted for three days, has drawn suspicion from the West over Beijing’s stance on the Ukraine war, where it has tried to position itself as a mediator.

But the US and its allies have rejected Beijing as a neutral party, given its diplomatic and material support for Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago.

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