Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday hailed his country's relations with India and Russia during meetings that heard calls for developing economies to have more say on the global stage, rivalling US influence. The twin visits by New Delhi's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and Sergei Lavrov from Moscow come on the heels of a high-profile trip to India by US President Barack Obama last week, and with Russian leader Vladimir Putin globally isolated over the conflict in Ukraine.
Under Xi, China has been pursuing a bigger say in the global economy, winning support in November from Asia-Pacific economies for a roadmap for a vast new free trade area that could rival US plans for the region. China is also aiming to set up an Asian infrastructure lender seen as a counterweight to Western-backed international development banks, and has backed plans to reform the International Monetary Fund that would give emerging economies a greater say in the institution.