(Bloomberg) -- Finnish President Alexander Stubb raised “Russian aggression” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, becoming the latest Western leader to put Beijing under public pressure for its support of Moscow.
Russia’s war in Ukraine was the key topic in Stubb’s “frank and open” talks with Xi, which lasted for more than three hours on Tuesday evening, the Finnish leader told reporters at a briefing afterward. He said he told Xi any support of Russia would weaken Finnish security and hamper European relations.
“China’s relationship with Russia affects China’s relationship with Europe,” Stubb said. “The more China supports Russia, the more difficult the relationship with Europe and especially with the European Union becomes.” He added that was a very closely coordinated message with his allies as a result of diplomatic shuttling over the past few months.
In the private discussions, Xi reiterated China was willing to work with relevant parties to promote a peaceful resolution of the “crisis,” state broadcaster China Central Television reported.
Stubb is on an official trip to China until Thursday, the first state visit by a Finnish leader since 2019. In July, Stubb called on Xi to help end the war in Ukraine, saying that Russia’s dependence on China means that Xi could solve the crisis with one phone call.
“Xi had noted my comment, to which he said that it could be true but it is probably not quite that simple,” Stubb said.
Xi has sought to portray China as a neutral actor in the war. His government has blamed the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for instigating the conflict, while Washington and NATO leaders have accused Beijing of enabling Russian aggression with economic and technology support.
Stubb pushed back, saying NATO’s enlargement was an outcome of Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine, and that neither Finland nor Sweden would have joined the alliance had Russia not attacked its neighbor.
Finland’s entry into NATO took place last year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended the European security landscape. The Nordic country has provided Kyiv with military support including air defense and heavy ammunition.
Xi has worked to maintain close bilateral ties with Russia, seeing Moscow as a partner in its push to challenge the Western-led world order. Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month in the Russian city of Kazan, where he said the “deep friendship” between their countries won’t change amid the “chaos” in the world.
Asked about North Korea’s dispatch of thousands of troops to Russia to aid Moscow’s war on Ukraine, Stubb said: “My analysis is that China will not take it kindly that North Korea and Russia are building a relationship that is bordering on alliance.”
Xi last visited Finland in 2017 on a stopover to the US, ahead of his first meeting with then US President Donald Trump. At the time, Xi and his Finnish counterpart former President Sauli Niinisto vowed to deepen economic cooperation and their officials signed agreement on panda conservation.
Finland received a pair of pandas the next year marking its diplomatic and trade ties with the Asian nation. But the Ahtari Zoo in central Finland said it will return the bears this year, ahead of a 15-year term, over the costs of upkeep.
Also Tuesday, CCTV said Beijing was easing visa rules for Finnish people entering the country. It also cited Xi as saying that China welcomed more Finnish people to do business and travel his nation.
--With assistance from James Mayger, Philip Glamann, Foster Wong and Olivia Tam.
(Updates with Stubb’s comments from second paragraph)
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