In his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the start of the Ukraine conflict earlier this year, Xi Jinping said that China was willing to work with Russia as "great powers", AFP reported. The two leaders met in Uzbekistan ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, which kicks off from September 16.


In the meeting, Putin condemned "attempts to create unipolar world" and praised China's "balanced" position on the Ukraine crisis.


The participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the summit has created a buzz as he has not attended any global event out of China in more than two years over Covid concerns.



Putin also said that Moscow backed Beijing's "One China" policy and opposes "provocations" by the United States in the Taiwan Strait. "We intend to firmly adhere to the principle of 'One China'," Putin said at the meeting.


The 'One China' policy is a diplomatic acknowledgement of China's position that there is only one Chinese government and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China to be reunified one day.


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif will also be attending the SCO summit. Pakistan has said PM Shehbaz Sharif had no plans to meet his Indian counterpart on the sidelines of the summit.


Before leaving for Samarkand, PM Modi said, "At the SCO Summit, I look forward to exchanging views on topical, regional and international issues, the expansion of SCO and on further deepening of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation within the Organization. Under the Uzbek Chairship, a number of decisions for mutual cooperation are likely to be adopted in areas of trade, economy, culture and tourism."


The SCO has eight full members, including its six founding members -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017.


In the SCO meeting, leaders will deliberate on important global and regional issues, including climate change, food security energy security, and sustainable supply chains.