China has rejected as “completely fabricated” a report that President Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin could regret invading Ukraine. The denial came as the Russian leader arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day visit.
According to the Financial Times, Mr Xi made the remarks during talks between US and Chinese delegations in Beijing last week. Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters: “The information you mentioned does not match the facts and is completely fabricated out of thin air.” An X account for the ministry’s spokesperson added: “Completely false.”
Mr Putin’s visit, his 25th to China, comes less than a week after Mr Trump’s high-profile attendance. The alleged comment suggested tension between the two allies, despite Beijing’s continued military and economic support for Moscow. Russia signed a “no-limits” partnership agreement with China three weeks before its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The reports also alleged that Mr Trump proposed Russia, China and the US join forces against the International Criminal Court, which China also denied. Ahead of his visit, Mr Putin emphasised the close relationship, saying the two countries were ready to support each other on issues including national unity and sovereignty protection. The Kremlin said the leaders would discuss the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which could deliver an additional 50 billion cubic metres of gas per year from Russia to China via Mongolia.
The visit comes as Ukraine continues long-range drone strikes against Russia, making it harder for the Kremlin to portray the war as remote. Over the weekend, a Ukrainian aerial attack on the Moscow region killed three people, according to Russian authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as retribution for Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities.
