Beijing –
China affirmed his support for Russia in the midst of the invasion of Ukraine. The United States (US), which opposes the Russian invasion of Ukraine, satirized the intimacy between China and Russia.
The intimacy between China and Russia began with the inauguration of the bridge connecting the two countries. Reported AFPFriday (10/6/2022), the one-kilometer-long bridge spans the Amur River and connects the city of Blagoveshchensk in Russia’s far eastern region with the Heihe region in northern China.
The construction of the bridge was completed two years ago, but the inauguration was delayed due to the Corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic. The inauguration of the bridge in Blagoveshchensk on Friday (10/6) local time was marked by the start of goods traffic. The first trucks to pass were greeted with fireworks.
The construction of the bridge, which consists of two lanes, will cost up to 19 billion rubles (Rp 4.7 trillion). Russia and China have stepped up political and economic cooperation in recent years. The cooperation was driven by a shared desire on the part of both countries to counterbalance what they see as US dominance.
Trade between Russia and China which share a 4,250-kilometer-long border, has also developed since the normalization of relations between the two countries in the late 1980s. However, trade relations are always faced with the lack of transportation infrastructure in the region.
Xi Jinping Support for Putin
Reported from AFP on Thursday (16/6/2022), Chinese media CCTV reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone on Wednesday (15/6) local time. In the phone call with Putin, Xi Jinping said China was “willing to continue to offer mutual support (to Russia) on issues of core interest and major concerns such as sovereignty and security”.
China has so far refused to condemn Moscow’s massive military offensive in Ukraine. China has also been accused of providing diplomatic cover for Russia by condemning Western sanctions and arms sales to Ukraine.
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