Putin, Xi put on a united front amid rising Ukraine tensions

Unveil 30-year gas deal via new pipeline; tell NATO to stop expansion

China and Russia proclaimed a deep strategic partnership on Friday to balance what they portrayed as the malign global influence of the United States as China's President Xi Jinping hosted Russia's Vladimir Putin on the opening day of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

In a joint statement, the two countries affirmed that their new relationship was superior to any political or military alliance of the Cold War era.

“Friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation," they declared, announcing plans to collaborate in a host of areas including space, climate change, artificial intelligence and control of the Internet.

Russia also agreed a 30-year contract to supply gas to China via a new pipeline and will settle the new gas sales in euros, bolstering an energy alliance with Beijing amid Moscow's strained ties with the West over Ukraine and other issues.

The rouble firmed around 1 per cent on Friday and energy stocks jumped after Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled the deal. The rouble was 1 per cent higher at 76.68 against the dollar at 1111 GMT, moving further away from a near 15-month low of 80.4125 hit last week. It firmed 0.6 per cent to 86.75 versus the euro.

Russia voiced its support for China’s stance that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and opposition to any form of independence for the island. Moscow and Beijing also voiced their opposition to the AUKUS alliance between Australia, Britain and the United States, saying it increased the danger of an arms race in the region. In a joint statement, both nations asked for NATO to halt its expansion.

Russia plotting to fake pretext for invasion, says US
 

Russia has formulated several options as an excuse to invade Ukraine, including the potential use of a propaganda video showing a staged attack, the United States said on Thursday.

US intelligence believes Russia could use a fabricated video showing the graphic aftermath of an explosion, including equipment appearing to belong to Ukraine or allied nations, to justify an incursion.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the reports, according to the TASS news agency, saying similar things had been said previously but amounted to nothing.