Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of the Russia-China partnership for “building a just, multipolar world order, with a focus on the nations of the Global Majority,” in an August 30 written interview with Xinhua given in preparation for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, on August 31-September 1.
The interview as a whole, which covered issues from economic cooperation (since 2021, bilateral trade has grown by the equivalent $100 billion), to cultural exchanges, to Russia and China’s joint role in institutions such as the SCO and the BRICS, reflected a single theme: The world is shifting to a new system, and Russia and China are playing a leading role in that.
In response to a question about the nations’ role within multilateral frameworks, Putin emphasized: “The Russia-China strategic partnership acts as a stabilizing force. As the two leading powers in Eurasia, we cannot remain indifferent to the challenges and threats facing our continent and the wider world. This issue is a constant focus of our bilateral political dialogue. Russia’s concept of creating a common space of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia resonates closely with President Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative.”
