"Dear friend". Vladimir Putin has submitted a competitive plan to Xi Jinping
In Beijing, Vladimir Putin seemed to praise the multibillion-dollar fund created by Xi Jinping for the New Silk Road, but at the same time encouraged a different project - the Northern Sea Route. The President of Russia even promised that Russia is ready to provide other countries with navigation, communication, and icebreakers.
The meeting of leaders from countries cooperating with China held in Beijing, with the participation of the Russian president, was dedicated to the painstakingly implemented transportation initiative called the "One Belt, One Road". China has signed cooperation documents for this route with 150 countries, but the infrastructure investment fund is struggling in the face of economic instability. The program was named by Xi as the "project of the century". It allowed - at the cost of tremendous debt - for the construction of high-speed rail, highways in Pakistan, and ports in the Pacific.
Putin praises the Northern Route
In his speech, President Vladimir Putin addressed the idea. He drew attention to the functionality of the Northern Sea Route in global transportation. The distance from the Russian port of Murmansk to Yokohama in Japan via the Suez Canal in the Middle East is over 12 thousand nautical miles (almost 13,8 land miles). The Northern Sea Route is only 5770 nautical miles (approximately 6,7 miles).
The Arctic route is currently open only for two months a year. Navigation is only possible with enormous labor inputs. It also requires constant infrastructure expansion. The opening of a new sea route would allow Russia to bypass the sanctions imposed by the West after the invasion of Ukraine and resume goods supplies from many directions.
The President of China, who is one of the few world leaders who doesn't hesitate in showing his support for Putin, took advantage of the Belt and Road Forum opening to strengthen his calls to world leaders. He appealed to developing countries not to succumb to restrictions imposed by Western countries.
- We object to unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, and the separation of supply from production, as well as disruptions in the supply chain. Ideological confrontation, geopolitical rivalry, and block politics are not choices for us - said Xi Jinping.
- Countries leading economic development should help their partners, who have not yet caught up. We should all treat each other as friends and partners, respect each other, and support each other and help each other to achieve success - the Chinese leader appealed.
The message sparked a lively response from those present at the meeting in Beijing. The President of Kazakhstan, Kasym-Jomart Tokayev, expressed his belief that under the "wise leadership" of President Xi Jinping, China will achieve even greater achievements and obtain even better results in the new era.
Argentine President Alberto Fernandez has declared that he is willing to deepen cooperation with China in mining, climate change, and finance. "China was our brother in need when the International Monetary Fund was pressuring us," Fernandez said.
The "One Belt, One Road" initiative, aimed at revitalizing the Silk Road, involves the expansion of infrastructure networks linking China, Central Asian countries, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It creates particularly favorable opportunities for cooperation in infrastructure and financial projects. One of the main corridors connects China with Western Europe and runs through Russia, Belarus, and Poland. The junction and transshipment point is the transshipment terminal in Małaszewicze.
