China's Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow hailing historic ties and true friendship
President
Xi Jinping has arrived in Moscow for a high-profile
state visit underscoring efforts to strengthen ties with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin amid growing trade pressures from the US and scepticism from European allies.
Advertisement
Upon landing at Moscow's Vnukovo-2 airport on Wednesday afternoon local time, Xi expressed confidence that the trip would deepen bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
'I will meet with President Putin to have an in-depth exchange of views over bilateral relations, practical cooperation as well as major international and regional issues of mutual interest,' Xi said in a written statement.
'[This] will inject strong impetus into the growth of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.'
He also hailed the friendship between China and Russia, calling the two countries 'good neighbours that cannot be moved away, true friends who share weal and woe, and good partners that enable each other's success'.
Advertisement
Hours before Xi touched down, local authorities said a number of Ukrainian drones were brought down near the capital, and airports across Moscow were forced to temporarily shut down.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
7 minutes ago
- HKFP
Beijing hails improving Vatican ties after Pope Leo names first Chinese bishop
Beijing hailed on Thursday improving ties with the Vatican after the first appointment of a Chinese bishop under Pope Leo XIV, signalling the new pontiff's support for a controversial accord on nominations struck by his predecessor. The Holy See expressed 'satisfaction' on Wednesday at the recognition by China of the appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, capital of eastern Fujian province. The pope made the nomination on June 5. Beijing's foreign ministry said the naming of the first Chinese bishop under the new pope had 'enhanced understanding and mutual trust through constructive dialogue' with the Vatican. 'China is willing to work together with the Vatican to promote the continuous improvement of China–Vatican relations,' foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing. The Vatican and China do not have formal diplomatic relations because the Holy See recognises Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own territory. However, they agreed in a historic deal in 2018 to let both sides have a say in the naming of bishops in China, home to about 12 million Catholics. The deal — the text of which has never been made public — has drawn criticism within the Church, with some seeing it as allowing the Communist Party government a stranglehold over China's Catholics. The deal was renewed several times as Pope Francis sought to make inroads for the Church in China, most recently in October 2024 for four years. 'With the joint efforts of both sides, the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops has been smoothly implemented,' Lin Jian said.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
At Paris VivaTech, China's industrial 3D printing firms target Europe
While touring the China Pavilion at Paris VivaTech , Europe's biggest tech fair, Chinese ambassador to France Deng Li's attention was drawn not only to the flashy robot dogs and humanoids, but also to a less eye-catching exhibit: a display of metal parts produced by specialised 3D printers. Advertisement 'To make something so complicated, 3D printing really saves a lot of trouble compared to traditional production methods,' Deng told his entourage, expressing his amazement at how a printer could produce complex metal parts in a single run. The company behind the display, XDM 3D Printing Technology, is among a growing number of Chinese companies eyeing the European 3D printing market – particularly as the United States becomes increasingly restrictive. 'We're positive about the European market,' said Zhang Zhengwen, the company's founder, in an interview with the Post on Wednesday. Established in 2015, XDM entered the European market in 2019. The pandemic disrupted its expansion, and it currently has only a few customers in Europe – but Zhang said he was confident about the future. Advertisement 'European companies will have to integrate 3D printing into their production sooner or later. There will be a massive need,' he said.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Chinese fintech giant Ant International to seek stablecoin licence in Hong Kong
Fintech firm Ant International, the global affiliate of Chinese tech giant Ant Group , said it would apply for a stablecoin issuer licence in Hong Kong once the new ordinance governing fiat-backed cryptocurrencies comes into effect in August. 'We welcome the passage of the Stablecoins Bill … and hope to contribute more to the city's vision as a global hub for next-gen finance,' Ant International said in a statement on Thursday. 'We plan to apply for the fiat-referenced stablecoins issuer's licence once the process is open after the Stablecoins Ordinance takes effect on August 1.' The statement comes as a show of support for Hong Kong's ambition to stay at the forefront of global finance . Ant International also plans to apply for a stablecoin licence in Singapore, where the company is based, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. Ant Group is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding , owner of the South China Morning Post. On May 21, Hong Kong's Legislative Council passed a law requiring that issuers of stablecoins – which are typically backed one-to-one by fiat currencies such as the US dollar – be licensed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The government announced last week that the law would take effect in August , at which point companies can apply for the licence. This makes the city one of the first jurisdictions to introduce detailed regulations governing the issuance of stablecoins, coming ahead of the US Genius Act currently making its way through the Senate. Several other companies have already announced plans to apply for the licence and issue Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoins. Some have been testing use cases in a government-backed stablecoin sandbox , including Jingdong Coinlink Technology, a subsidiary of , Alibaba's main e-commerce rival in mainland China. For Ant, the move aligns with the company's broader goal of enhancing its global business with expanded treasury capabilities and banking partnerships. Ant International said in the statement that it intended to 'transform our cutting-edge AI, blockchain and stablecoin technologies into reliable, large-scale real-world applications'.
