Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Tuesday in Shanghai that sanctions imposed by the West to “destroy” the Russian economy have not achieved their goals, promising to deepen economic ties with China.
“Nothing that our critics dreamed of has come true,” Mishustin said in a speech at the Russian-Chinese business forum in Shanghai, China’s economic “capital,” quoted by Sputnik.
The Russian prime minister, who is on a two-day visit to China, also promised to deepen economic ties with the Asian country.
“I am confident that this year we will achieve the goal set by the heads of state Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to increase our trade to $200 billion,” he added, referring to a figure announced during the meeting between the two leaders. held in Moscow in March last year.
Mikhail Mishustin’s words came after members of the G7 (the seven most industrialized democracies) sharply criticized the two countries during a summit held last weekend in Japan.
According to the Bloomberg news agency, the Russia-China business forum in Shanghai was attended by several Russian businessmen targeted by Western sanctions, especially in the steel, mining and fertilizer sectors.
Mishustin noted that cooperation with China in the energy sector is “an absolute priority” for Moscow, noting that Russia is the main supplier of oil to China and that its exports of natural and liquefied gas to China, as well as coal, are “constantly increasing.”
China has said it is neutral in the conflict in Ukraine and wants to play a mediating role, but maintains “unrestricted” relations with Russia and refuses to criticize the invasion.
Trade between China and Russia increased by 34.3% last year, allowing Moscow to ease the effects of sanctions imposed by the West.
The business forum was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Alexander Novak.
“Energy supplies are growing in large volumes and have increased significantly in 2022. In 2023, there will be another increase of about 40%,” Novak said, quoted by Russian news agencies.
In the same speech, Novak also clarified that Moscow is already “solving certain issues with partners,” including Beijing, so that the most necessary technological equipment is delivered to Russia.
Since the imposition of Western sanctions following the military offensive into Ukraine, the Russian economy has faced a shortage of components, mainly semiconductors, “microchips” used in a wide range of electronic devices.
Mishustin, who took office in 2020, is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the Russian embassy in China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference that she hopes the visit “will give new impetus to deepening cooperation and exchanges between the two countries in various fields.”
When asked about the concerns of some Western countries about closer economic ties between the two countries, Mao Zedong said that Sino-Russian cooperation “is not aimed at third parties and should not be interrupted and subjected to coercion by third parties.”
“We have always opposed unilateral sanctions not authorized by the UN Security Council and extraterritorial jurisdiction,” he recalled.
“China will take all necessary measures to vigorously protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” he said.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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