China lauds BRI achievements; Putin pitches Russia's Northern Sea route

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said his country rejected "economic coercion" and "bloc confrontation", at the opening ceremony of a forum of international delegates to the Belt and Road forum in Beijing.

Beijing on Wednesday hosted representatives of 130 countries for a forum on the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI], Xi's vast trade and infrastructure project.

At the top of the guest list is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is on his first trip to a major global power since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine threw his regime into international isolation.

Xi opened the forum with a speech promising Beijing would not engage in "ideological confrontation, geopolitical games or bloc confrontation".

"We oppose unilateral sanctions, economic coercion, decoupling and delinking," Xi told delegates. "Viewing the development of others as a threat and economic interdependence as a risk will not make one's own life any better or one's own development any faster."

Xi said BRI has boosted the flow of goods, capital, technology and human resources into the countries involved.

BRI is a grand plan launched by Xi a decade ago that he hopes would build global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe through overland and maritime routes.

Putin praises 'dear friend' Xi

Putin said at the summit that Russia and China "share the desire for equal cooperation in the world". "The Russian Federation and China, like most countries, share the desire for equal cooperation in the world," Putin said.

"Given the global dimensions of the initiative the Chinese leader launched a decade ago, frankly, one can hardly expect to make it work. Our Chinese friends are making it work. We are glad to see this success story as it means a lot to many of us," Putin said.

Putin said the BRI fitted with Russia which he said was developing a host of transport infrastructure to criss-cross the world's biggest country, notably from the Northern Sea Route which runs from Murmansk near Russia's border with Norway eastwards to the Bering Strait near Alaska

"As for the Northern Sea Route, Russia does not just offer its partners to actively use its transit potential, I will say more: we invite interested states to participate directly in its development, and we are ready to provide reliable ice breaker navigation, communication and supply," Putin said.

"Starting next year, navigation for ice-class cargo ships along the entire length of the Northern Sea Route will become year-round."

Israel-Palestine war

At an official banquet, Xi delivered a toast in which he alluded to recent geopolitical conflicts, but added that "the historical (trend) of peace" was "unstoppable".

The United States has asked China to use its influence to help de-escalate the Israeli war on besieged Gaza, which has seen more than a million people in the blockaded enclave.

China brokered an entente between Iran and its regional foe Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and will send its Middle East envoy, Zhai Jun, to the volatile region this week.

Russia, which has traditionally maintained good relations with both Israel and Palestine, has called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the conflict.