Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

In Russia, China Sees 'Counterweight' To American Influence: White House

In Russia, China Sees 'Counterweight' To American Influence: White House

In President Vladimir Putin and Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping sees a "counterweight" to American and NATO influence on the continent and elsewhere around the world, the White House has said.
The statement by John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, came as Putin accorded a red carpet welcome to his Chinese counterpart Xi in Moscow and held marathon talks spread over two days on a range of issues, including the raging war in Ukraine.

"I think you've seen over the years that these two countries are growing close together. I wouldn't go so far to call it an alliance. ... (it's) a marriage of convenience, because that's what I think it is. In President Putin and Russia, President Xi sees a counterweight to American influence and NATO influence, certainly on the continent and elsewhere around the world," Kirby told reporters at a daily news conference here on Tuesday.

"In President Xi, President Putin sees a potential backer here. This is a man who doesn't have a whole lot of friends on the international stage. They can count them on one hand mostly. He really needs and wants President Xi's support for what he's trying to do, because he's blowing through inventory," he said.

In recent weeks, China had appeared to position itself as a peace broker, releasing its position on a "political solution" to the conflict calling for a ceasefire and peace talks.

Xi's visit to Moscow came days after China clinched a Saudi-Iran deal, regarded as a diplomatic coup, to end the hostilities between the two countries and restore diplomatic ties. The deal was regarded as a major achievement for China in expanding its global outreach and countering the US influence, especially in the Middle East.

"I don't think you can reasonably look at China as impartial in any way. They haven't condemned this in - this invasion. They haven't stopped buying Russian oil and Russian energy," Kirby said when asked whether the US sees China as having an impartial position on the Ukraine war.

Referring to the joint statement after the Putin-Xi meetings, Kirby noted that on Ukraine the two sides just said, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed and international law must be respected.

"Well, we agree. Following the UN Charter would mean that Russia should withdraw from all the territory inside Ukraine, the territory of another member state of the UN, a member that it has invaded," he said.

"The UN Charter enshrines the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine," he said.

"They also said, the parties call for the cessation of all steps that contribute to escalation of tension and the prolongation of hostilities. Well, we agree," Kirby said.

"One way to stop the hostilities is to pull Russian troops out of Ukraine. But short of that, Mr. Putin could stop bombing hospitals, he could stop bombing schools, he could stop launching Iranian drones into civilian infrastructure. He could stop the forcible deportation of young kids, thousands of them, putting them in filtration camps inside other places inside Ukraine, but also inside Russia," Kirby said.

A day earlier, Kirby said that Russia is now a junior partner of China. "Do you guys view Russia at this point as a client state of China?" he was asked.

"I would say there's - in that particular bilateral relationship, they certainly are the junior partner," Kirby said.

Responding to another question, Kirby said the US does not think that China has taken providing lethal aid to Russia off the table, but they haven't moved in that direction. "We've seen no indication that they're about to fixing to provide lethal weapons," he said.

Meanwhile, China on Wednesday said President Xi's just-concluded state visit to Russia was a "journey of friendship, cooperation and peace." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China was neutral in the Ukraine conflict and reiterated that Beijing had "no selfish motives on the Ukraine issue, has not stood idly by ... or taken the opportunity to profit itself".

"What China has done boils down to one word, that is, to promote peace talks," Wang said in response to a question at a daily briefing.

"President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia is a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace, which has aroused positive responses in the international community," Wang said.

China would "continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political settlement of the Ukrainian issue", the spokesperson said, an apparent reference to a 12-point peace proposal put forward by Beijing that calls for a ceasefire and negotiations.

In their joint statement, China and Russia expressed serious concern over NATO's continued strengthening of military-security ties with Asia-Pacific countries, which undermines regional peace and stability.

It said the two sides oppose the cobbling together of a closed and exclusive bloc structure in the Asia-Pacific region, creating bloc politics and camp confrontation, in an apparent reference to the Quad alliance comprising of the US, India, Australia, Japan and AUKUS, consisting of Australia, UK and US.

Both sides note that the United States adheres to the Cold War mentality and pursues the Indo-Pacific Strategy, which has a negative impact on peace and stability in the region, it said.

China and Russia are committed to building an equal, open and inclusive security system in the Asia-Pacific region that does not target third countries, in order to maintain regional peace, stability and prosperity, it said.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×