‘Important members of Global South’: China welcomes India-Russia cooperation after Putin trip
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said maintaining “sound relations” among the three nations serves their own interests and contributes to “regional and global peace, security, stability and prosperity.”
- Dec 8, 2025,
- Updated Dec 8, 2025 8:35 PM IST
China on December 8 welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, calling it a positive signal for cooperation among major Global South economies. “China, Russia and India are emerging economies and important members of the Global South,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun in Beijing, offering China’s first official response to Putin’s trip.
Guo said maintaining “sound relations” among the three nations serves their own interests and contributes to “regional and global peace, security, stability and prosperity.”
Putin’s visit to New Delhi, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was closely watched by Beijing, given its strategic partnership with Moscow. Asked about Putin’s remarks ahead of the visit, in which he called India and China “our closest friends,” Guo said China is ready to work with both to strengthen bilateral ties.
On the India-China front, Guo noted that Beijing is committed to a “long-term and stable relationship” and wants to approach ties from a “strategic height and a long-term perspective.” Relations between the two countries have been gradually stabilizing since the 2020 Eastern Ladakh border standoff.
Putin, in an interview with an Indian channel, said he believed the leaderships in New Delhi and Beijing are committed to resolving their issues, and emphasized that Russia had “no right” to interfere in their bilateral matters.
Chinese state media highlighted Putin’s supportive tone, with Xinhua reporting his rejection of US criticism over India’s Russian oil imports. China, the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas, has consistently dismissed Western pressure to scale back purchases amid the Ukraine conflict.
During his December 4-5 visit — his first since 2021 — Putin and Modi oversaw the signing of several economic agreements and finalized an Economic Cooperation Programme aimed at boosting bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030.
(With inputs from PTI)
China on December 8 welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, calling it a positive signal for cooperation among major Global South economies. “China, Russia and India are emerging economies and important members of the Global South,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun in Beijing, offering China’s first official response to Putin’s trip.
Guo said maintaining “sound relations” among the three nations serves their own interests and contributes to “regional and global peace, security, stability and prosperity.”
Putin’s visit to New Delhi, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was closely watched by Beijing, given its strategic partnership with Moscow. Asked about Putin’s remarks ahead of the visit, in which he called India and China “our closest friends,” Guo said China is ready to work with both to strengthen bilateral ties.
On the India-China front, Guo noted that Beijing is committed to a “long-term and stable relationship” and wants to approach ties from a “strategic height and a long-term perspective.” Relations between the two countries have been gradually stabilizing since the 2020 Eastern Ladakh border standoff.
Putin, in an interview with an Indian channel, said he believed the leaderships in New Delhi and Beijing are committed to resolving their issues, and emphasized that Russia had “no right” to interfere in their bilateral matters.
Chinese state media highlighted Putin’s supportive tone, with Xinhua reporting his rejection of US criticism over India’s Russian oil imports. China, the largest buyer of Russian oil and gas, has consistently dismissed Western pressure to scale back purchases amid the Ukraine conflict.
During his December 4-5 visit — his first since 2021 — Putin and Modi oversaw the signing of several economic agreements and finalized an Economic Cooperation Programme aimed at boosting bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030.
(With inputs from PTI)