Chinese leader Xi Jinping publicly congratulates Ukraine on Independence Day for first time — Bloomberg

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Chinese President Xi Jinping sent him a congratulatory note on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. This is the first such case when a Chinese leader publicly congratulates the country on its independence from the USSR.

Bloomberg reported this on Tuesday, August 26.

Last Sunday, August 24, Zelenskyy published a screenshot of the congratulatory note, which, according to him, came from Xi Jinping.

This message was the first known case of communication between them in more than two years and the first public evidence that the Chinese leader sent congratulations to the country on its independence from the Soviet Union.

In his congratulatory note, the Chinese leader wrote that he is "ready to work with you to steer our bilateral relations towards sustainable and long-term development and bring more benefits to the peoples of both countries."

Zelenskyy stressed that he appreciates the initiative of the Chinese leader and expressed mutual interest in developing bilateral relations.

Bloomberg notes that Chinese state media, which usually cover Xi Jinping's messages to world leaders, did not report any congratulatory messages to Ukraine.

The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Guo Jiaku, dodged the question about the congratulatory telegram at a daily briefing on Tuesday, August 26. He stated that Beijing develops friendly relations with all countries.

The agency emphasizes that Xi Jinping's message is of great importance, given that russian dictator vladimir putin has repeatedly stated about the alleged artificiality of Ukraine's borders, which were created by Soviet leaders.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on August 24, US President Donald Trump, on behalf of the American people, congratulated Ukraine on its 34th anniversary of independence.