Xi Says China Ready to Advance Ties With Russia as Moscow Reaffirms Stance on Taiwan
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that Beijing is prepared to “push for continuous new progress” in its bilateral relationship with Russia. The remarks were made in a message exchanging New Year greetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. Xi said that 2025 marks “a concrete step” in the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.
Xi’s comments followed recent statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterating Moscow’s position on Taiwan. In remarks published Sunday by Russia’s Tass news agency, Lavrov said Russia opposes “any form of independence” for Taiwan, describing the stance as “well-known, unchangeable, and repeatedly reaffirmed at the highest level.” He stated that Russia recognizes Taiwan as an integral part of China and considers the Taiwan issue an internal matter of the People’s Republic of China.
The developments come against the backdrop of rising regional tensions in East Asia. Strains between China and Japan have intensified since Nov. 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, a scenario that could legally justify the exercise of collective self-defense under Japanese law.
