Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in Shanghai on Tuesday that sanctions imposed by the West to “destroy” Russia’s economy have failed to achieve their goals, promising to deepen economic ties with China.
Mishustin, quoted by the Sputnik news agency, said that “none of the things our critics dreamed of has come true,” in a speech at the Russia-China Business Forum, which took place in Shanghai, China’s economic “capital”.
The Russian prime minister, who is on a two-day visit to China, also promised to strengthen economic ties with the Asian country.
“I am confident that this year we will reach the target set by the heads of state, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, to increase our trade to $200 billion,” he added, referring to a figure that was announced during a meeting between the two leaders. , held in Moscow last March.
Mikhail Mishustin’s words come after G7 member states strongly criticized the two countries at last weekend’s summit, which took place in Japan.
At the Russia-China Business Forum in Shanghai, several Russian businessmen were targeted by Western sanctions, particularly in the steel, mining and fertilizer sectors, according to Bloomberg news agency.
Noting that cooperation with China in the energy sector is an “absolute priority” for Moscow, Mishustin noted that Russia is China’s main oil supplier and that its exports of natural and liquefied gas to China, as well as coal, are “continuously increasing”.
China has said it is neutral in the conflict in Ukraine and wants to play a mediating role, but maintains an “unrestricted” relationship with Russia and has refused to criticize the invasion. Trade between China and Russia increased by 34.3% last year, helping Moscow ease the effects of sanctions imposed by the West.
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Energy, Alexandre Novak, was also present at the business forum. “Energy supply is growing in large volumes and has increased significantly in 2022. In 2023 there will be another increase of about 40%,” he said, quoted by Russian news agencies.
Mishustin, who took office in 2020, will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Wednesday, according to a note released by the Russian embassy in China.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference that she hopes the visit “provides new impetus to deepen cooperation and exchanges between the two countries in various fields”.
Asked about the concerns of some Western countries in the face of closer economic ties between the two countries, Mao said China-Russia cooperation “is not aimed at third parties and should be free from interruption and coercion by third parties”.
“We have always opposed unilateral sanctions not approved by the UN Security Council and extraterritorial jurisdiction,” he recalled. “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely protect the legitimate and legal rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” he said.
Source: DN
