Russia’s Medvedev met China’s Xi during a surprise visit to Beijing

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as he made a surprise trip to Beijing on Wednesday.

The two leaders reportedly held talks on bilateral relations and the conflict in Ukraine.

Medvedev, who is now deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, posted a video to his Telegram channel showing him meeting with Xi and smiling for a photo op and meeting between Chinese and Russian officials.

Medvedev said he and Xi discussed the “borderless” strategic partnership between the two countries, as well as Ukraine. He gave no other details.

“We discussed cooperation between the ruling parties of China and Russia… bilateral cooperation within the framework of our strategic partnership, including the economy and industrial production. We also discussed international issues – including, of course, the conflict in Ukraine,” Medvedev said. .

“The talks were useful,” he added.

Russia accelerated its orientation towards Beijing after it was subjected to a large number of Western sanctions to punish it for its invasion of Ukraine in February, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.

Russia seeks to foster closer economic, political and security ties with China to make up for its loss of similar Western ties and sees Xi as a potential ally in an anti-Western alliance.