TOKYO, October 24. /TASS/. The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping earlier this year showed that Moscow and Beijing are ready to join forces to build a new international system of relations that could be an alternative to the US-centered world order, a Japanese political analyst said.
"The Moscow meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin back in March was primarily meant in support of Russia’s positions globally, including the Ukraine problem, even if one accepts that Beijing doesn’t totally support hostilities in that country," Taisuke Abiru, a senior research fellow at Sasakawa Peace Foundation, told TASS. "I think that there is consensus between China and Russia in that the two countries will be building a new multipolar world order as an alternative to what they believe is the unjust world order based on US dominance," he added.
Abiru, who is the author of a number of books about Russia, mentioned the Belt and Road Forum which recently took place in Beijing, where Putin was given an especially warm welcome. "The Russian President addressed the forum immediately after the Chinese leader. That indicated clearly that China viewed the Russian leader as the key guest of the event," the expert explained.
The two leaders held talks following the official opening of China’s third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing on October 17-18. It was attended by over 4,000 people from more than 140 countries.
The Belt and Road Initiative, a concept first proposed by Xi in 2013, aims to symbolically recreate the ancient Silk Road. The goal is for China to access markets in Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and other regions of the world, as well as to intensify international trade and investment projects involving a large number of nations along with the use of Chinese and foreign capital. Over 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations have already joined the initiative.