China’s President, Xi Jinping, offered to deepen cooperation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin, in a phone call on Wednesday, signalling that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine had not dented Xi’s basic commitment to their partnership.

The two leaders’ call appeared to be their first since late February, soon after Russia launched its full assault on Ukraine. In the months since, the Chinese government has sought to preserve ties with Moscow while maintaining that it was trying to be an impartial broker for peace in Ukraine.

But the summary of the conversation between Xi and Putin issued by the Chinese foreign ministry left little doubt that Xi remains committed to close ties with Russia, which help to offset rising antagonism with the US and its allies.

“Throughout this year, Chinese-Russian relations have maintained a healthy momentum of development in the face of global turbulence and change,” Xi told Putin, according to the Chinese summary. “China is willing to promote the steady advancement of practical cooperation,” Xi said.

New York Times News Service