China and Russia are increasingly looking to shape the world order in their own favor and against the West, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his trip to Moscow.
Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met with on Monday for more than four hours, according to Russian state media TASS, have known each other for years, though the relationship between their countries is expanding.
XI ARRIVES IN MOSCOW FOR MEETING WITH PUTIN
"In a troubled world, China is ready to act in concert with Russia to firmly uphold the U.N.-centric international system, safeguard the world order based on international law and the fundamental norms of international relations relying on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, support true multilateralism, promote multipolarity in the world, democratize international relations and promote global governance on a more just and rational track," Xi said.
China has attempted to position itself as a middle arbiter during Russia's war in Ukraine, though Beijing has done so in the context of pushing Russia's account of the war. The U.S. is concerned that Beijing could escalate its tacit support for Russia by providing them with lethal aid, though the Biden administration said on Monday it hasn't happened yet.
The Pentagon views China as its "pacing challenge," and describes the People's Liberation Army or PLA as the only power that has the intent and capability to reshape the international order in its favor.
“This is a relationship that has been burgeoning of late. These two countries have grown closer," National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters on Monday. "They are both countries that chafe and bristle at U.S. leadership around the world — chafe and bristle at this idea … [of ] this international rules-based order, which so many countries helped to establish in the wake of World War II. And these two countries, they don’t like that much, and they’d like to challenge it.”
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Xi sees Putin as a “potential ally” in Beijing’s “challenge [to] U.S. leadership around the world,” while Putin sees Xi as “a lifeline of sorts for a war that he’s conducting that has clearly not gone anywhere near the direction he wanted it to go,” Kirby explained.
The U.S. is focused on “revitalizing our alliances and partnerships around the world and advancing our foreign policy goals around the world” in order to counter China and Russia’s growing relationship, he added, citing the AUKUS deal that will provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.