Contrarily there is Xi Jinping, who after the recently held CCP meeting where he appears to have surpassed Mao Tse Tung electing himself President for life. 

"Cold warriors lived most obviously in the United States and the Soviet Union, but because the Cold War enveloped the world its warriors were everywhere. They included the Presidents of the USA from Harry S. Truman to George H. W. Bush, and their secretaries of state, among them John Foster Dulles, Dean Rusk, and Henry Kissinger.

Many other U.S. government officials were cold warriors: appointees such as George F. Kennan, Paul Nitze, and Jeanne Kirkpatrick, and elected representatives including senators William Knowland, Joseph McCarthy, and Hubert H. Humphrey.

There were members of the intelligence community (J. Edgar Hoover, Edward G. Lansdale, William Colby), prominent journalists who interpreted the Cold War to the American people (Walter Lippmann, James Reston), and theologians, among them Billy Graham, who saw the Cold War as a moral challenge to Americans.

The visit of Xi to Moscow got a very negative connotation in the Western media. As war propaganda goes, each and every negative aspect is highlighted, repeated and repeated some more beyond the 24 hours news cycle. Flying balloons anyone?

Amazing the timing of Xi and effort to balance peace ☮️ between Iran and Saudi Arabia ... the Shia - Sunni divided harmed the Islamic faith for centuries. The division was exploited by the U.S. and U.K. during the last one hundred years. [same for Israel's foreign policy] A few weeks ago Israel was ready to launch an attack on Iran with clear backing from Joe Biden.

Netanyahu - who did not hold political office when the recording was made - was dismissive of the United States, calling it easily manipulated.

The Moscow summit held between Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping has drawn to a close with both sides issuing a comprehensive Joint Statement. As always, these are somewhat ambiguous, meaning a certain amount of reading between the lines and certainly a well-grounded background into their relationship is required to create a reasonable analysis.

Western media has attempted to portray Putin as the "Junior Partner" which is largely accurate, although not exclusively. I have seen the two men on various platforms over the years, Putin does tend to refer to Xi as 'Chairman' while in return, Putin is referred to as 'President', implying Xi's seniority in the relationship. It is not, however, something Putin appears especially concerned about - there exists a certain amount of old-fashioned chivalry between the two.

Putin and Xi also get on - while Putin has been known in the past for the occasional joke and a laugh, Xi rarely does so. Yet I have seen Xi Jinping make mischievous comments about Putin's piano playing during a bit of forum banter. Clearly, there is a bond between the two, which should come as no surprise.

Anyway, on to the complete statement, which in Chinese [-language "narative"] is significantly more detailed than the truncated English-language version ["readout"] published here. The complete statement has been translated by Dezan Shira & Associates in Beijing and is reproduced below.

"With the unremitting efforts of both sides, the ["]China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for a New Era["] has reached the highest level in history and continues to move forward.

"The two sides reaffirmed their compliance with the ["]Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation["] signed on July 16, 2001, and the ["]Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation["] signed on 20 June 2021, and to develop bilateral relations in accordance with the principles and spirit established in the ["]Joint Statement on International Relations and Global Sustainable Development in the New Era["] issued by the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on February 4, 2022."

CDE [author's initials]: The preamble illustrates the long-standing yet evolving relationship the two sides possess.
[...]

bottom line: "The agreed summit language suits Putin's purposes, enabling him to continue fighting while saying he is open to talk peace."
bottom line: "Russia is still waiting on a deal and China has powerful leverage to secure advantageous price terms."
bottom line: "Russia is still waiting on a deal and China has powerful leverage to secure advantageous price terms."

CNBC | This map shows the massive gas pipeline that Russia and China are building (26.07.22)
State-owned energy companies, Russia's Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corp., have been building the pipeline for about eight years
RT | Russia and China ironing out new gas megadeal (22.03.23)
... The [Power of Siberia-2] is part of a $400 billion, 30-year agreement between Russia's Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation, which was inked in May 2014

bottom line: "Short-term gains for Putin but a longer-term shift in favour of China."
bottom line: "China seeks to position itself as a mediator in the Ukraine crisis while sealing useful deals with Russia at a time when it is in a strong bargaining position vis-a-vis Moscow."

[...]
ZDF: Thanks. Secretary General, I have a more general question on China. As the view on China changed, are you ready to change, or is NATO ready to change the [13 pp] Strategic Concept towards China?
Stoltenberg: No. The reality is that the Strategic Concept we agreed in Madrid reflects NATO's or, as I say, a new recognition of what China means for our security, because I think we need to realize that NATO has come a long way when it comes to China. In the Strategic Concept we had until last summer, China was not mentioned with a single word. Then, in the Strategic Concept we agreed in Madrid, in June last year, we made important decisions. We don't regard China as an adversary. But we stated clearly in the Strategic Concept that China's assertive behaviour poses a challenge to our interests, our values, our security....

Qin Gang said that beginning with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and General Charles de Gaulle, China and France have established and developed bilateral relations in the spirit of strategic autonomy. The more complex the world situation becomes, the more the two sides should adhere to strategic independence. Noting that the Chinese side attaches great importance to President Macron's visit to China, Qin Gang said that the Chinese side is willing to work with the French side to make this visit fruitful with outcomes and take the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership and practical cooperation in various fields up to a higher level.
[...]
Colonna said that France-China relations are of vital importance. France views its relations with China from a strategic and long-term perspective, appreciating China for the thoughtful arrangements for Macron's visit. She hopes that this visit will inject new vitality into bilateral cooperation in various fields. France adheres to its independent decision-making and the tradition of friendly and cooperative policy toward China. France is willing to work with China to comprehensively resume bilateral relations after COVID-19, constantly deepen cooperation in the fields such as economy and trade as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and jointly respond to global challenges.
[...]

...President Xi welcomed President Macron's state visit to China after a lapse of over three years. He noted that over the past three years and more, despite a changing and unstable international landscape, China and France have worked together to maintain a positive and sound growth momentum in their bilateral ties. The two sides have maintained high-frequency and high-quality strategic communication in a hybrid format, supported each other in the fight against COVID-19, and seen robust growth in bilateral trade and important outcomes from cooperation in aerospace, aviation, agriculture, food and other areas. The two countries have also carried out close communication and coordination on such issues as climate change, biodiversity, and Africa's development....

...and held talks respectively with Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora and Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific Gunnar Wiegand of the European External Action Service (EEAS). The two sides exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, China-EU relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Liu Xiaoming shared China's policy and position on the Korean Peninsula issue....

...President Xi pointed out that the concurrent visit to China by President Macron and President von der Leyen demonstrates the positive desire of the European Union (EU) to grow relations with China and advances the common interests of China and the EU. In a complex and volatile world beset by the protracted Ukraine crisis, faltering global recovery, volatile financial markets and growing difficulties facing developing countries, China and the EU need to stay committed to dialogue and cooperation, uphold world peace and stability, foster common development and prosperity, promote human progress, and address global challenges together....

On the afternoon of 6 April, President Xi Jinping held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, and they met the press afterwards.

President Xi reaffirmed China's commitment to facilitating peace talks and political settlement on the Ukraine crisis. China stands ready to issue a joint call with France for the international community:

To stay rational, exercise restraint, and avoid taking actions that might cause the crisis to further deteriorate or even spiral out of control;

To strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities, and protect women, children and other victims of the conflict;

To earnestly honor the solemn pledge that nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought, oppose the use of biological weapons under any circumstances, and oppose armed attacks against nuclear power plants or other civilian nuclear facilities;

To resume peace talks as soon as possible, observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, accommodate the legitimate security concerns of all parties, seek political settlement, and foster a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture; and

To jointly address the spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis in food, energy, finance, transportation and other fields, and reduce the negative impact of the Ukraine crisis on the world, especially on developing countries.
###

Chinese President Xi Jinping showed no sign of changing his position [to] Russia's war on Ukraine after talks Thursday with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

On the second day of Macron's state visit to China, Xi took his long-standing line on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- saying that "all sides" have "reasonable security concerns"—and gave no hint [?] he would use his influence to help end the conflict.

"China is willing to jointly appeal with France to the international community to remain rational and calm," was as far as the Chinese leader would go, during a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
[...]

After reading his carefully scripted remarks while staring straight ahead, Xi at times looked impatient and annoyed as Macron continued speaking. Xi heaved a couple of deep sighs and looked uncomfortable as Macron addressed him directly[,] while apparently ad-libbing on the Ukraine war and about their joint responsibility to uphold peace.

The tone of the exchange contrasted starkly with a signing ceremony for various commercial contracts that immediately preceded the "press conference with Communist characteristics," at which the two leaders took no questions from the media.

At the press conference, Macron appealed to Xi to explicitly condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
[...]

XI: [We] reiterated the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity of other nations as the fundamental priciples that we uphold. We are going to ensure that development benefits both of our countries. Just a few moments ago, President Macron and I witnessed a signing of a number of agreements for co-operation, for aeronautics, civil nuclear power, green development, new technologies, and these are all pivotal areas for future development and growth of our respective nations. We focused on other key areas such as carbon neutrality, and training—carbon neutral training programs. We would like to reiterate that China is going to continue to open up it's country to the world, to foreign countries and to new opportunities. France is a key driver in developing our further relationships as we have seen in the past. France will be a guest of honor in future relationships and future events, when we focus on striking a balance, because we need to ensure that companies working in the Chinese borders can do so normally. That is why France will be part of future trade discussions. The coming year will be the year for Franco-Chinese tourism. As part of that we will continue to drive exchanges between our nations, be it for education or tourism. Our shared objective is to ensure the Olympic Games in 2024 can go ahead as planned, and we will ensure that that can happen. Also, we will uphold our efforts to focus on a multifaceted approach to multilateralism, multilateralism that came out of the Cold War. We will also work together in the lead up to the United Nations Conference  on the High Seas to ensure the conference will go ahead. This also marks the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of relationships between China and Europe, and we will strive to bolster that in all areas. And with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, we will hold tri-partite meetings between France, China, and the European Union. The objective of said meeting is to focus on strategic autonomy that Europe is striving for. The aim is not just to follow, or to be subject to, the will of others. The aim is to ensure all parties can move forward autonomously.

As for the crisis in Ukraine, China continues to make an appeal for peace and a political solution to be found. With France we call for restraint for all international partners, because if not, the situation will become a situation out of control. We need to ensure that civilians and civilian facilities will be protected. We need to ensure that nuclear weapons are not used, and we condemn the use of biological warfare as well. We are against the use of bombing civilians, and we want everyone to ensure that the solution that comes out of this is a long-term, stable solution. We seek to work together to seek to protect the future relations with Ukraine in all domains—financial, economic, agricultural. (Applause) We also seek to draw attention to, draw light [to], the fact that developing nations also suffer from the fallout of this crisis, and we need to tackle that. Thank you very much.
Macron: Thank you very much, President, ministers, abassadors, journalists. I'd like to thank you foremost for welcoming us here today, some three years after my initial visit where we both met in Shanghai. Over these past three years we continued to maintain open channels of communication  despite the pandemic. Given all that has happened, I would like to thank you for meeting us here in Beijing and [unintelligible]. I would like to thank you for meeting me here today in light of the upcoming tri-lateral meeting between yourself, myself, and the president of the European Commission. This is just another milestone in a long journey of relations that started with Juncker and Merkel years ago. Our co-operation is one that is building on history of co-operation that dates back to our respective understandings of Silk Road. Now, we are striking a form of balance, and I would say that the times that we have just lived accelerated change, accelerated co-operation. Now, I feel that we have come to a form of understanding. France and China as permanent members of the UN Security Council—because of history, the love for independence, and the fact that we believe so deeply in that as a principle—work together to build or preserve a sense of global order that has withstood the test of time.

We work to ensure peace and stability, and we have the ambition to tackle very modern issues. To talk of peace and stability, well, there are very many topics that we could discuss today and tomorrow, especially when focusing on what is happening in the Middle East—the coming together, the coming closer of Saudi Arabia and Iran—which is a welcomed change. We could also speak of Lebanon and the sensibility that needs to be brought into the region. We could also talk about the situation in North Korea, but to speak of peace and stability today obviously means we have to speak of war, war that is being waged by Russia in Ukraine. You just spoke of that, and if I could just touch on that as well. This brings to an end decades of peace on the European continent. This is a war that affects us all, as you mention, because a permanent member of the UN Security Council decided to violate the very charter that governs that council. Therefore, through diplomatic means we have sought to remind Russia of its obligations and its duties, to remind it of the fact that territorial boundaries are part and parcel of sovereignty, and we have pushed to defend the UN Charter. We take very seriously the matter of nuclear powers, and you understand that France agrees in saying that nuclear warfare should not be part of any way forward, and there are certain treaties to that effect. We need to ensure that no countries, who do not have nuclear weapons, be given such capability, because that would go against a number of commitments made by yourself, that we have made, and that many other countries of the world have made. Another point that you have just reminded is, that there is a humanitarian issue at stake here. Russia is violating certain humanitarian law, especially when they target children. Therefore, [we] speak out against this action and speak out against impunity.

We, therefore, need to defend a number of items, and that is what we can talk about, because we need to build [a] sustainable, long-term view. We can only have that if we have Ukrainian people and also if we can have the Russians at the discussion table. I feel that Europe needs stable security for the future, and the stability piece cannot be possible, if we are busy dealing with situations like what is happening in Ukraine. We can consider that Ukraine is a European country and, therefore, we cannot consider stability on a continent insofar as we still have a country that has been invaded by one of its neighboring powers. So, what we have discussed is a number of principles. I agree with a number of principles that we have already discussed. I hope that in a very near future we will be able to have a much more demanding conversation between each other and with Russia so we can remind Russia of these principles. We wish to do so through our diplomatic avenues, because this is a matter of sovereignty and territorial integrity for Ukraine. That is the only condition for long-term, sustainable peace. We need to ensure that there is long-term stability even if there may be a short-term escalation of the situation.

We have a number of shared ambitions. We have the forum for the new Silk Road. This one which will be present is the UN High Commission forum that will be held in Costa Rica. Also, in 2019 we signed a number of important declarations and statements on biodiversity. We are ready to bear the fruits of that at the COP[15] summit in Montreal. This March, the BBNJ agreements. So, we have a number of commitments and agreements that we have made together for example the fight against evolution of [unitelligible]. All of this is part of a road map leading up to [unitelligible]. This is what we want to continue building upon. We have co-ordinating very closely in light of the United Arab Emirate COP28. So we have ambitions. We also have a global financial compact. I would like to make special mention of the considerable role that China plays, especially when it comes to reforming international financial institutions and coming up with a new response for the poorest nations of the world because they need, too. We need to provide solutions for them because they are the ones most hard hit by inequality but also the most hard hit by climate change fallout. We will be meeting with a number of agents and come forward with responses adequate for those nations.

We will be meeting with President von der Leyen which is a multilateral meeting that we'll be having, but we also have bilateral relations. I think our bilateral relations are highly indicative of our friendship. We are fighting for European sovereignty, strategic autonomy, one that is better serve our greater project. It is also one of our greater principles in France. I feel like France has a very clear strategy and our bilateral roadmap is very much relevant within that context. We are will be continuing high-level dialogue as you mentioned in the various formats. We have today signed a number of agreements instituted a large area of work—the strategic areas of research, innovation, a civil nuclear-powered contribution where we will be looking at a complete of the entire industry and the impact that it can play. We have transport and sustainable aviation fuels, the contribution of French companies to the various efforts, There is the AFD, France's foreign aid development and all the work it is doing to fight against climate change, leveraging the expertise from French companies. I feel that we can have greater reciprocity, a new balance, even for trade. We have done much over these past few years— agriculture, food—we will take it even further. We have the minister of agriculture. We have the minister for the seas to just highlight how important France, continental France and its overseas territories, sees these issues. There are so many different domains through farming that we can focus on be it  beef, fish, or other. These agreements cover roughly twenty of our companies. We are kicking off new research for sustainable farming practices as in ways of shoring up greater food security. We also have agreements for aeronautics, health, cosmetics, finance. I'm sure that we will be able to speak before the French-Chinese Council for Business, created just recently.

The dialogue that you were talking of, Mr. President, is one that we want to ramp up in the coming years, because it is a matter of exchange, exchange of people and ideas. You spoke of the Cosmo Festival, that is the highlight of our relations. There is also next year 2024 which we will give for French-Chinese tourism. It will be a way for highlighting our heritage, our arts, our cultural sector. We have here today a number of representatives from our cultural sector. It is also about exchanges between our theaters and museums, all about cultural institutions, one that I am sure you believe in greatly and which we also believe in. That is a form of co-operation that we can to put forward. We want to get back to the same level of air transit as we had pre-COVID. We will do so by focusing on your visa programs, but we want it to be reciprocal, because it is a two-way road. That two-way road is so essential for both of our countries. So this is the model.  

There is one that you and I have discussed at great length on multiple occasions. A topic that comes back time and time again is the matter of human rights. It is one of France's amazing principles. It's not because we have differences that we talk about them. We need to do so respectfully. It's not about giving lessons. It applies to both France and China that we can always garner great results from any relationship when you build on one of respect but not one of superiority, trying to give lessons. We want to focus on one of friendship and respect with our future relations. I dare not speak much longer, but we have major international issues at stake. European autonomy, bilateral relations, as you can see we have quite alot on our agenda. I would like to reiterate how important it is to continue to discuss [how to] avoid any form of escalation in our current world and show that we've worked in the interest of our peoples, that we need to live up to the task that is ahead, and that is why it is so important we both talk about time of our schedules for today's visit and tomorrow's vist. Today's discussions are about agreements for the future. Times are very worrying. Times are quite tragic, and it is up to us not to give in to the easy way out, assume responsibility, and focus on peace to avoid escalation. I know, you, too, believe in this. You believe in it, and I am here to say that France believes in it as well. (Applause)

The fmprc publication of the Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and the French Republic is here (English, Français, Español, and Русский translations). The preamble anticipates the purposes of the meeting.

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, will pay a state visit to the People's Republic of China from April 5 to 7, 2023. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the two heads of state reviewed the solid foundation of Sino-French relations and the friendship between the two peoples, and exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations, China-EU relations and major international and regional issues. 9, 25 March 2019 and 6 November 2019, to open up new prospects for Sino-French cooperation and seek new momentum for China-EU relations.
###

The rest of the agreement is too long to reproduce. Specific UN facilities, SDR funding, IPCC conventions, BRI and G20 economic priorities enhance bilateral commitments, glossed in summary docs (above). The JCPOA is the focal point of UNSC political and diplomatic settlement is Iran. Nothing in the document could be construed to pertain exclusively to intervening in the "Ukraine crisis," much less governments of the Russian Federation and the US.

I. Strengthening political dialogue and promoting mutual political trust
II. Jointly promote world security and stability
III. Promote economic exchanges
IV. Restart people-to-people and cultural exchanges
V. Coping with global challenges

This pastiche assembled by Politico.eu.com, China and France call for peace in Ukraine and vow deeper military dialogue, is rubbish.

[...]
In his trilateral meeting with Macron and von der Leyen last Thursday in Beijing, Xi Jinping went off script on only two topics—Ukraine and Taiwan—according to someone who was present in the room.
[...]
As is common in France and many other European countries, the French President's office, known as the Elysée Palace, insisted on checking and "proofreading" all the president's quotes to be published in this article as a condition of granting the interview. This violates POLITICO's editorial standards and policy, but we agreed to the terms in order to speak directly with the French president. POLITICO insisted that it cannot deceive its readers and would not publish anything the president did not say. The quotes in this article were all actually said by the president, but some parts of the interview in which the president spoke even more frankly about Taiwan and Europe's strategic autonomy were cut out by the Elysée.

GT | Macron's fruitful visit shows resuming all-level exchanges 'main tone' of 2023 China-EU ties
Time to untangle the 'Ukraine knot' in China-EU relations: editorial
GT | Macron's fruitful visit shows resuming all-level exchanges 'main tone' of 2023 China-EU ties

..."China-EU relations had been kidnapped by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and by the Taiwan question, but we have dismissed some misunderstandings now and dispelled some concerns during the meetings with European leaders," Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Friday.

After China released a 12-point position paper on political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and the Chinese leader visited Russia, it has become much clearer to Europe that the US won't resolve the crisis but will only fuel the fire, Wang said. He added that Europe felt disappointed by this and now pins its hopes on China, which it believes can play a positive role in helping resolve the crisis....

...China welcomes France putting forward specific proposals on a political settlement of the conflict, and it stands ready to support it and continue to play a positive role, Xi said....A joint statement by the two countries released on Friday highlighted that China and France will work together to promote world security and stability. ...The joint statement noted that the two countries will strengthen political dialogue to enhance political mutual trust. They will continue the mechanism of the yearly meeting between the two heads of state. France reiterated upholding the one-China policy....

...[Macron] pointed out that he was taking a large delegation to China to seek closer cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and France is ready to work with China on the third Belt and Road [BRI] Forum for International Cooperation that China will host.

Addressing the closing ceremony of a meeting between Chinese and French entrepreneurs, Xi said China-France economic and trade cooperation has not only boosted the economic development of the two countries and improved people's well-being, but has also enhanced confidence and stabilized expectations for global economic recovery....

...China will never handle the Ukraine issue out of selfish interests, but always stands for fairness and justice. All relevant parties should shoulder their responsibilities and make joint efforts to create conditions for a political settlement, Xi said. China welcomes France's concrete proposal for a political solution to the crisis, and stands ready to support it and play a constructive role, Xi added.

Macron said France also believes that a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis needs to take into account legitimate concerns of all parties. France attaches great importance to China's international influence and is willing to work closely with China to facilitate an early political settlement of the crisis....

...A good number of French bosses have "jumped on the plane" to resume contact in person with their business partners in China and returned with full confidence in the potential of the Chinese market, according to a front-page article published by Le Figaro Economie on Monday....

asia.nikkei | Bangladesh finds way to pay Russia for nuclear plant: with yuan, 17 Mar taka (BDT)

... "Because of the sanctions against Russian banks," [.BD Ministry of Finance Economic Relations Division sec Uttam Kumar] Karmaker said, "we couldn't process payments in U.S. dollars. Russia asked us to settle the payments in their currency, rubles, but that was not feasible. So we both opted for yuan."

Rooppur, when completed, will be capable of generating 2,400 megawatts of power. It is to be a crucial element of Bangladesh's plans to generate more energy and reduce its reliance on coal. The new arrangement, which should help ensure the project moves forward, comes amid growing calls from Global South nations and others to move away from the dollar and reduce the dominance of Western-led financial institutions.

Under the pact, Bangladesh will resolve payments with Russia via a Chinese bank, likely drawing on Dhaka's own reserves of yuan. Russian beneficiaries will receive funds through China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), a yuan-driven alternative to the dollar-dominated SWIFT system....

RT | India's new foreign trade policy aims to smash dollar's hegemony, 14 Apr BJP - G20 hyperbole and carry trade

[...]
Though India has been working overtime to push the rupee for its global trade, the realities are far from ideal, as the currency has considerably weakened in the past year. In the case of India-Russia bilateral trade, which has been rapidly growing since the Ukraine conflict started, New Delhi has found a viable alternative.

India [INR] and Russia [RUB] have decided to route goods through third countries such as the UAE, which enjoys healthy ties with both the nations, and also because the emirates' currency—the dirham [AED]— is pegged to the dollar, and as a result, the dirham enjoys global stability. Both nations have come to the understanding that this is the best way to engage in bilateral trade and also avoid trading in rupees, rubles and dollars.
[...]

AED:INR: 1:22.33
AED:RUB, 1:22.29
AED:RMB, 1:1.87
AED:USD, 1:0.27

🚨 The Danish government announces its intention to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty as it "creates unnecessary uncertainty about the #greentransition".

🇮🇹🇵🇱🇪🇦🇳🇱🇨🇵🇩& #127466;🇸🇮🇱🇺+🇩🇰= #ExitECT [_link]

— Bart-Jaap Verbeek (@BJVerbeek) April 13, 2023

Compensating wealthy fossil fuel corporations through an outdated EU treaty ... thanking Brussels 🥹

EU exit from climate-killing energy treaty looms | DW News |

Denmark joins a spate of EU nations including Germany, Spain, France and the Netherlands who are exiting the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), an investment pact weaponized by big emitters to sue governments -- most recently for phasing out fossil fuels.

With the European Commission having stated on February 7 its intention to coordinate a withdrawal of the entire bloc from the archaic pact -- ratified in 1994 to protect energy investments in post-Soviet states -- more countries are expected to join the eight EU members now in revolt. 

EU countries are the target of 90% of ECT disputes. This litigation threat has hamstrung climate policy to the point where the EU can "wave bye-bye to carbon neutrality targets," according to Yamina Saheb, a climate expert and former ECT employee.

When the Netherlands, for example, legislated a 2030 coal-fired power phase-out in an effort to reduce carbon emissions, German energy giants Uniper and RWE sued the government under the treaty.

In the closed-door arbitration court where ECT disputes are settled, RWE demanded €1.4 billion ($1.55 billion) compensation from the Dutch government   -- despite RWE susequently agreeing to its own 2030 coal phase-out in exchange for the right to mine lignite under Lützerath in western Germany. 

That case is ongoing, though Uniper withdrew its claim as part of a bailout agreement with the German government. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in the Brazilian capital, Izvestia correspondent
Today, April 17, Lavrov begins a tour of Latin America. He will visit Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. pic.twitter.com/FxEAtqJWRk

— Spriter (@Spriter99880) April 17, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron is looking to reverse a string [!] of disappointing diplomatic forays by approaching China with a plan that he believes could potentially lead to talks between Russia and Ukraine.

fpmprc China stands ready to issue a joint call with France for the international community
chinadaily China welcomes France putting forward specific proposals on a political settlement of the conflict

Macron has tasked [sic] his foreign policy adviser Emmanuel Bonne to work with China's top diplomat [QIN GANG?], Wang Yi, to establish a framework that could be used as a basis for future negotiations, according to people familiar with the plans.

archived Wang Yi Has a Phone Call with French President's Diplomatic Advisor Emmanuel Bonne (23.03.23)

Macron has tasked [sic] his foreign policy adviser Emmanuel Bonne to work with China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, to establish a framework that could be used as a basis for future negotiations, according to people familiar with the plans....

On his recent trip to China, the French president fell short of his goal ...

It's not clear < wipes tears > if Macron has support for his plan from Kyiv and its allies, many of whom have dismissed cease-fire proposals that would allow Russia to keep territorial gains. ["]Many nations["] are also skeptical that China can serve as a neutral intermediary given its "no-limits friendship" [sic] with Russia. The countries have repeatedly pledged to strengthen ties,

20-21 March, "Joint statement by the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on the deepening of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction entering a new era", etc

including a call on Monday to boost cooperation between their militaries.

RT | Russia reveals details of snap Pacific Fleet drills (17.04.23)
archived "We talked about this with the head of parliament, Chairman [of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu], most recently in Vladivostok." (15.09.22), Russia To Launch [Vostok] Exercises With China, India (1-9 Sep 2022)

An official from Macron's office confirmed the plan for Bonne to speak to Wang ...

Spring Offensive

Any future negotiations would be dependent on several conditions, including a successful Ukrainian spring offensive that would put Kyiv in a position of strength during any talks, according to The People™.

Some European officials worry that dangerously high expectations < wipes tears > have been placed on any Ukrainian counteroffensive, which may not be decisive enough for Kyiv to liberate all the territory Russia has occupied. A more realistic target is a 30 kilometer (20 mile) or so advance in the south that would put Ukraine's most capable artillery within range of Russian supply lines and create the conditions for a deeper push in 2024, < wipes tears > Bloomberg previously reported.

This means Ukraine's allies [G7 NATO, Price Cap Coalition?] would need to ramp up support to enable future offensives to win back more occupied territory or that any potential ceasefire negotiations before that time could see Russia remain entrenched in significant swathes of Ukrainian territory.
[...]

During his visit to China in early [5-7] April, Macron said that he believed China had a major role to play in "building peace."

However, he also acknowledged in an interview with French financial newspaper Les Echos [!] in early April that for any negotiations to take place certain "milestones" had to be established.

President Volodymyr Zelensk* spoke by phone with Macron on April 15 to discuss the French president's recent visit to China and the situation on the frontline.

UWC | ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: "I spoke today with French President Macron. The conversation lasted for almost an hour and a half. We had time to go through all the key security issues on the agenda—very important for us, in Ukraine, and in Europe in general....It is precisely why there is a Ukrainian Peace Formula, which is absolutely realistic and quite concrete, and it was also discussed in detail with Macron today, as well as the international events we are preparing for this year, in particular, the Vilnius NATO summit..."

Macron has previously said that he sees a major role for China and that thanks to its relationship with Russia it could "bring Moscow back to reason."
[...]

Bloomberg's sources have said that Macron has tasked his foreign policy adviser Emmanuel Bonne to work with China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, to establish a framework that could be used as a basis for future negotiations, according to people familiar with the plans.

The French strategy envisions talks between Russia and Ukraine happening as soon as this summer if all goes well, said The People™, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

An official from Macron's office confirmed the plan for Bonne to speak to Wang but declined to comment on the details, adding that France's allies have been informed of any French initiative.

In response to questions, China's Foreign Ministry said [WHEN?] it was unaware of the source of the information and "difficult to verify the authenticity."

On his recent trip to China, the French president fell short of his goal to convince Xi to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensk* -- the two still haven't spoken since the war broke out more than a year ago.

Bloomberg reported earlier that French President Emmanuel Macron was looking to approach China with a plan that could form the basis for talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
[...]
Lula has proposed establishing a group of countries not involved with the war to broker peace, telling reporters on Sunday he had discussed the idea with the leaders of China and the United Arab Emirates.
[...]

World POWs messaging system gob.br, 17 Apr

Various countries and world leaders, including China's Xi Jinping, France's Macron[,] and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, have tried to position themselves as possible peacemakers, nearly 14 months into the war.
[...]
The Kremlin said it had seen the reports but had not been in touch with France on the issue. "We are not aware of the existence of any French plan, we have not received anything from the French side," Peskov said [WHEN?].

On 21 April 2023, the [UN] World Food Programme [WFP] sent a shipment of mineral fertilisers from Riga Port, heading for Kenya. This is the first cargo from about 200,000 tonnes of fertilisers of Russian origin owned by companies subject to the European Union's restrictive measures and stored in the territory of Latvia.

The World Food Programme is planning to deliver some more shipments of the currently sanctioned mineral fertilisers [sic] from captured at Latvia port authorities in order to give support to countries that need those products most.

As reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier, on 6 December 2022 the Cabinet passed a decision to respond to a request from the United Nations to reduce the negative consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine racketeering and help address remedy the food crisis in Africa and Latin America. The Latvian Government decided to facilitate the donation of argicultural goods to third-countries by a third-country, with support from the UN World Food Programme, of mineral fertilizers owned by companies sanctioned by the European Union.

Together with its foreign partners and international organisations co-conspirators, Latvia continues [obv. FALSE] providing support for the countries that have been affected by the food crisis triggered by Russia's war on Ukraine G7 racketeering.
###

The local currency's share of China's cross-border payments and receipts rose to a record high 48% at the month end from nearly zero in 2010, according to research by Bloomberg Intelligence citing data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange [of China]. The dollar's share declined to 47% from 83% over the same period, the figures showed.

The ratio is calculated based on the volume [Q] on all types of transactions, which includes securities trading through the links between mainland China and Hong Kong's capital markets. It doesn't represent transactions used by the rest of the world -- the yuan's share in global payments was little changed at 2.3% in March, according to SWIFT