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© Thomson Reuters 2023.Putin praises 'dear friend' Xi; pitches Russia's Northern Sea route
By Laurie Chen and Vladimir Soldatkin BEIJING©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
53 Comments
isabelle
History will look back on Xi and Putin as two of the most horrific leaders humanity has ever known.
They are trying their best to outdo even Mao and Stalin. I hope for everyone's sake that they don't succeed.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Soon to be "dear leader" Xi.
Redemption
Crooks.
fxgai
The problem with this trade infrastructure is, if you wretches keep behaving badly, no one at the end of your trade routes will want to trade with you… that’s not rocket science
isabelle
We don't know how many people will die yet, as they unfortunately haven't finished ruling/killing/oppressing.
Their rule is absolutely in the same vein as those infamous predecessors, even if the body count isn't quite as high yet.
Blacklabel
So who is responsible for the recent Russia and China restored friendship?
finally rich
Ever had that kind of nasty person in the office that likes to boast, gossip, cheat, make up stories, always talking ill of others?
You can count 1 over here, and oh there is another one over there, both from completely different departments or even different floors but it won't take you a week before you see them chatting at the cafeteria, having lunch together etc. it never fails.
JJE
The article skipped mentioning that on the first day, Putin had a meeting with PM Victor Orban of Hungary - significant because it was the first face to face meeting with a leader of an EU country since the SMO began after the non-implemented Minsk Agreements failed to stop attacks against the Donbass.
Orban profusely apologized for the economic aggression the EU is waging in the form of sanctions, which hurt the EU too, and pledged to work together economically for the benefit of both. He also pointed out the several key projects they had going, including nuclear and pledged to keep the positive dialogue open.
He also met with Vietnam, the incoming leader of Pakistan and other countries with similar positive results.
At the "group photo" of world leaders on the first day, he was mobbed liked a rockstar.
TaiwanIsNotChina
NATO, the core of the OECD, is literally countries with a mutual-defense pact. That's much more than Russia and China have.
TaiwanIsNotChina
You almost make it sound like Russia was a party to the Minsk Agreements.
Yes, thieves will celebrate a troublemaker working on their behalf.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Russia.
JJE
The Northern Sea Route is a no-brainer - shorter, faster, safer, cheaper and serviced by the only fleet of advanced nuclear icebreakers in the world.
It has one other major benefit - immune to NATO blockage like existing chokepoints. The sea super-highway of the future.
Strangerland
China is one of like 2-3 countries in the world right now that doesn't absolutely detest Russia.
And even then they only like Russia because Putin followed Xi's orders to start a war against Ukraine as a dry-run test for China's invasion of Taiwan.
JJE
Keep telling yourself that. The majority of the world didn't go along with the sanctions of the colonialist powers - they understand it's a proxy war.
The article even mentions that only "a handful of European delegates" walked out before his speech. And other people booed them.
Fighto!
I guess some in China have a pretty low bar for a "rockstar" if a shaky, bald and vertically challenged 70-year-old can qualify.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I like how the bar is sanctions now. Well, poor non-European countries are not going see it as their war. 141 still condemned Putin and this will never be forgotten.
In a den of thieves people booed the people that walked out on one of the king thiefs. What a shocker.
isabelle
Orban does not represent the EU. He is an outlier, whose autocratic regime is detested by the EU leadership, and many Hungarians, as it is the antithesis of EU values. It's no surprise he showed up with the likes of Putin and Xi.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62925460
And your so-called "economic aggression" [sic] is a reaction to actual, military aggression by Putin.
Strangerland
Then why has the Ruble crashed harder than the Russian moon lander and Prigozhin's plane?
You can keep trying to tell us the world doesn't hate Russia, but if you read media from any country that matters, it's full of news on how much Russia sucks.
TaiwanIsNotChina
It's not going to be a Russian century. How do you say "so sorry" in Russian?
TaiwanIsNotChina
We'll see how long Hungary holds out like that surrounded by pro-EU states. Even Poland rejected its crazies.
JJE
What a bizarre statement to make that someone who is duly elected in a free and fair election does not represent their country.
By that logic many countries are unrepresented right now. Cherry-picking 101.
Fortunately that mentality didn't blight the BRI forum, which has proved to be conducive and a well of untapped economic opportunity for all. Old friendships rekindled, new ones made. The food looked fantastic too.
Fighto!
You've previously expressed your admiration for Little Rocket Man.
Not sure how much credibility your endorsement of despots Orban, Xi and Mini-me carries.
elephant200
The Arctic Sea routes, a place you will see the Chinese naval presents there very soon although China is not a nation within the Arctic circle.
JJE
Key statements from Putin's speech, which heavily focused on transport corridors:
▪️Russia and China share the desire for equal cooperation in order to achieve economic progress and social well-being.
▪️The “One Belt, One Road” project is in tune with the Russian initiative of the Greater Eurasian Partnership.
▪️An international North-South corridor is being formed in Russia, connecting Russian ports in the Baltic and Arctic with ports on the coast of the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean.
▪️One transport linkage from north to south will pass through the Ural region of Russia and Siberia. Its key element is the modernization of the central section of the Trans-Siberian Railway, including the West Siberian Railway in several regions of Russia.
▪️Russia is working with foreign partners to build railway routes from Central Siberia towards China, Mongolia, and ports of the Indian and Pacific oceans (the International North–South Transport Corridor and others).
▪️The Russian Federation invites interested states to participate in the development of the Northern Sea Route.
▪️Transport corridors from north to south open up the opportunity to directly connect the Northern Sea Route with large logistics hubs in southern Eurasia.
▪️Russia, within the framework of BRICS, took the initiative to establish a permanent commission on transport logistics.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I'm sure Russia will find some way to screw it up by impounding European ships using it for no reason.
isabelle
My original post said that he doesn't represent the EU. And he doesn't.
Yes, he does represent Hungary as its elected leader. However,
1) He does not represent 100% of Hungarians
2) Hungary's elections are neither free nor fair:
https://www.vox.com/23009757/hungary-election-results-april-3-2022-orban-putin
For the past 12 years, Orbán has systematically worked to turn Hungarian democracy into a sham: one where elections seem fair, but take place on uneven playing ground. Through tactics ranging from extreme gerrymandering to media control to unfair campaign finance rules, he has made it unthinkably difficult for the opposition to defeat his Fidesz party at the ballot box.
Sunday’s results reflect this undemocratic reality, with his party once again winning enough seats to unilaterally amend Hungary’s constitution.
“It is doubtful that in free and fair elections, with a more proportionate electoral system, he would win a parliamentary majority, let alone such a large one,” Cas Mudde, an expert on European politics at the University of Georgia, writes in the New Statesman.
Those per the Lisbon Treaty and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
https://european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/principles-and-values/aims-and-values_en
If you want to know about toilet information, you'll have to look that up yourself.
isabelle
If by chance you're referring to my comment, that's not what I said. See my post above.
Moonraker
Is the above picture available in large prints for the betas and gammas of the world to fawn over "the strong men"?
nandakandamanda
See the body language. One of them is not smiling as he shakes the hand of a wanted man.
nandakandamanda
If they are not careful, Russia's proposed northern route might actually be a rival challenge to Xi's BRI.
Raw Beer
By EU values, do you mean the values of the European people, or that of the EU leadership? Because I suspect he is much more respected and admired than many other EU leaders. BTW, Putin has a very high approval rating in Russia.
ClippetyClop
Is it any more nonsensical than Putin invading because of Nazis or NATO?
Why do you think he started a war in Ukraine, and does that justify it?
JJE
The NSR is not a rival to the BRI, it's a complementary, vital linkage.
One thing that certain quarters completely miss, because it's alien to the top-down G7 mindset, is the concept of multi-polarism.
And those who have missed the coverage, that's a central theme running through this economic forum - a better world and economic growth through a multipolar world.
Watching the proceedings one is struck by the enthusiasm and positivity and genuine economic nature of this forum. Putin had a large packed hall listening intently.
In stark contrast to the G7/20 gang who threaten other countries with sanctions or worse, divide the world into classes and blocs and ram their proxy war agendas down people's throats - this is a breath of fresh air. The last G7 was basically ostentatious meetings and a publicity tour for someone.
And that's the thing - countries want to move forward economically as equals, not as slaves to a colonial mindset that can't let go.
ClippetyClop
Is invading your neighbours, killing their citizens and annexing their land part of that 'better world'?
But dont invade their neighbours, kill their citizens and annex their land.
Your dream of a world in which this is encouraged is pretty sick.
nosuke
answer is nato and Americans
JJE
There you go again.
The world is focused on economic betterment - not an irrelevant proxy war from a regime which killed its own, held torch lit parades and hid behind NATO countries to weasel out of a signed agreement.
Countries are looking forwards, not backwards. Mutual economic development, not bandera-style tribalism. Multi-polarism not nationalists and their hate filled chants.
ClippetyClop
Your favoured 'polarism' is actually invading or threatening to invade its neighbours, killing its citizens, kidnapping its kids and stealing its land. These are facts and they disputed by nobody.
My 'polarism' isn't doing these things.
Now you can delude yourself into thinking that this murderous 'polarism' will lead to a better world but that is because you are in the wrong, where as I am in the right.
You'll just have to trust my judgement on this, because it's better than yours in every single matter.
Paul
China has absolutely NO investment in Russia! And does't plan to make any either. Just waiting for Russia to collapse. Then they can take everything for free!
drlucifer
EU has no policy, it is a vassal of the US
drlucifer
Putin an intelligent strong leader loved by the Russians.
No European leader is so loved by its people when they have become a vassal of the U.S
Strangerland
Can anyone name a more hated country on earth than Russia right now? I don't believe there is one. Russia is number one... most hated.
nosuke
It’s china for me
Strangerland
It's kind of genius by Xi. He ordered Putin to invade Russia, and gets to sit back and reap the benefit no matter what happens. Russia is purely a vassal state to China.
Strangerland
This is undeniable, except by Russians. And as they are clearly in the wrong, it's undeniable.
ClippetyClop
He indeed did, it is beyond doubt. Proof of this is that Putin invaded just TWO days after the culmination of the corrupt and poorly executed Beijing Winter Olympics, upon Xi's orders.
Xi planned to invade Taiwan immediately after Putin's 72hr stroll into Kiev, but after Biden rallied NATO and the West and dealt Putin an enormous strategic defeat he thought better of it and went back to murdering some more Uyghurs.
ClippetyClop
...it's all true I saw it on CNN n stuff.
Keepyer Internetpoints
China is working very hard to make Russia's northern sea route dream a reality. How? By pumping out record levels of CO2! China is set to melt more glaciers and icebergs than even America, and they have the manpower and the customers (cough, America and friends) to do it!