Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on March 20 to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in what has become Xi's first foreign trip after he was re-elected by the Chinese National People's Congress as the country's head of state for a third five-year term on March 10.
Today is the second day of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. After the dialogue, the two presidents are expected to hold a joint press conference, followed by a state dinner at the Kremlin.
Prior to the visit, Xi penned an article for RIA Novosti and Rossiyskaya Gazeta, where he stressed that his upcoming trip to Russia would be aimed at strengthening peace and friendship between the two countries. He expressed his willingness to work on new plans to cultivate bilateral ties together with President Putin.
The first stage of the talks between Putin and Xi ended late on March 20 at around 21:00, having lasted for about four and a half hours. The Russian president highlighted the success of the Chinese economy, while Xi praised Putin’s leadership and expressed certainty that the Russian people would continue to support him.
Nuclear War Must Never Be Fought - Joint Statement by Russia, China
A nuclear war cant be won and must never be fought, Russia and China said in a joint statement published by the Kremlin Tuesday.
"Underlining the importance of the joint statement by the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states on the prevention of nuclear war and the prevention of an arms race, sides reiterate that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be unleashed," the statement read.
Moscow and Beijing also called on nuclear states to abide by agreements signed between nuclear states.
"The Parties confirm that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is the cornerstone of the international mechanisms for nuclear disarmament and the international regime for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The Parties reaffirm their commitment to their obligations under this Treaty and will continue to coordinate efforts to preserve and strengthen the Treaty in the interests of maintaining international peace and security," the statement said, adding that measures to reduce strategic risks should be included in efforts aimed at reducing tensions amid worsening relations between nuclear states.
In addition, the statement said that nuclear powers should not deploy nuclear weapons abroad and remove the ones that are already deployed in other countries.
