Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands on Thursday during bilateral talks in Beijing, China.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands on Thursday during a bilateral meeting in Beijing, China.
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MOSCOW and BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled down on their alliances against the West this week, accusing the United States and its allies of trying to thwart their rise during two-day state visits to China. . The Kremlin Leader ended on Friday.
It was President Putin’s first overseas trip since taking office for his fifth term following provisional elections in March.
The visit was timed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s recognition of the People’s Republic of China and kick-start a year of cultural exchange between Russia and China, but it also comes at a time when broader geopolitical dramas are unfolding. There was little room for doubt.
In the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has repeatedly shielded Moscow diplomatically from Western accusations and provided an economic lifeline from unprecedented Western sanctions.
Meanwhile, China has rejected US-led accusations that it is empowering Russia’s war machine while benefiting from deep discounts on Russian energy and expanding Chinese exports to Russia.
At the root of this is a shared view that strong Sino-Russian relations are essential to counter Western powers perceived to be increasingly hostile to both countries, a view that seems to be growing stronger by the day. is.
Putin was accompanied by a delegation that included nearly all senior ministers, military officials, and Russian industry leaders in energy, space, and agriculture.
Mr. Xi, who chose Moscow for his first state visit after his re-election last year, warmly welcomed Mr. Putin at a lavish state-style welcome ceremony held in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. As the pair strolled down the red carpet, the Russian leader was greeted by a guard of honor, a 21-gun salute and a line of children jumping and cheering to a choreographed tune.
endless partnership
By Putin’s calculations, the two leaders have met more than 40 times, a sign that they have grown closer to each other over their long autocratic hold on power. They now regularly share birthday gifts and openly refer to each other as “dear friends.” They even hugged this week.
The two countries signed an “unrestricted” partnership when Putin visited Xi in Beijing in February 2022, days before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. It is not clear whether Putin informed Xi of his own decision or sought the Chinese leader’s approval.
Formally, China has declared neutrality on what Xi calls the “Ukraine issue” and is seeking to position itself as a mediator in the conflict.
But Beijing has also refused to directly criticize the Russian government, instead supporting the Kremlin’s view that years of NATO expansion eastward provoked Russia’s actions.
Instead, Beijing Mr. Xi on Thursday joined President Vladimir Putin in endorsing a 12-point peace plan that Western countries have criticized as too vague.
“Both sides believe that a political solution to the Ukraine crisis is the right direction,” Xi said. “China’s position on this issue has always been clear and consistent.”
President Putin said he welcomed China’s diplomatic efforts but would update the Chinese leader on the war, including recent advances by Russian troops on the battlefield in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Amid pageantry and vague calls for peace, analysts said the move was a clear signal that Beijing refuses to downgrade its ties with Moscow despite increased pressure from the West. are doing.
“There are no signs that China is abandoning Russia and the kind of stealth support for the war effort,” said Alexander Gabuyev, director of the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center and a leading China watcher. talk.
Rather, President Putin and President Xi Jinping appeared to strengthen their partnership, issuing a lengthy joint statement that characterized the United States as a “direct threat” and accused the United States of trying to thwart the rise of Russia and China. .
In his comments in front of cameras, Xi vowed that China and Russia would “uphold fairness and justice in the world.”
In response, President Putin said that cooperation between Russia and China is “one of the main stabilizing factors in the international arena.”
“This is all underpinned by a common understanding that the United States is the biggest threat,” said Samuel Sharup, a Russia and Eurasia policy expert at the Rand Corporation.
“This relationship will continue to grow, and mutual collaboration to undermine the global efforts of the United States and the West will become more important over time,” Sharup said.
The meeting came three weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing, during which he told NPR he warned China not to support Russia.
protect the economy from sanctions
Beyond geopolitical shadowboxing, trade became a major focus of negotiations.
Putin is particularly looking to China as a buffer against Western sanctions for his actions in Ukraine.
Russia has shifted its oil and gas exports from the shrinking European market to China.
Chinese products, especially cars and home appliances, are flooding into the Russian market as Western companies pack in.
Blinken told NPR that the Biden administration also believes Russia has become a top supplier of parts used to rebuild its defense industrial base to fight Ukraine. of weapons, tanks and armored vehicles. ”
Earlier this month, the United States imposed sanctions on a series of companies in China and Hong Kong for providing critical components to Russia. And recent U.S. threats to impose so-called “secondary sanctions” on Chinese companies and banks deemed to be supporting Russia’s war effort have further chilled business.
President Putin visited the Chinese city of Harbin on Friday, highlighting cross-border trade. Harbin has deep Russian roots dating back to the 19th century, and is commonly known to Chinese people as “Little Moscow”.
In talks with local leaders, President Putin insisted that Russia is fully ready to expand cooperation in energy, agriculture and other areas. It remained unclear whether an agreement had been reached.
“As with many things regarding the economic side of the Russia-China relationship, declarations and reality can be one thing,” says Rand’s Charup.
In fact, the latest round of talks proposed a new gas pipeline project from Russia to China, but no progress was made on the Power of Siberia 2 project, which has repeatedly met with resistance from the Chinese government. .
It was also unclear what role Russian military officials played in the talks in Beijing, as China has denied, at least publicly, that it supplies arms to Russia.
Carnegie’s Gabuev likened the optics of travel, or what we saw in the outside world, to the tip of an iceberg.
“The underwater part of the iceberg is where the activity is,” he says. “And both sides have their reasons for not revealing to us what was actually discussed.”
Addressing students at Harbin’s Technical University on Friday, President Putin offered his own metaphor for the Russia-China alliance that has brought some protection and calm during the two years of war.
“If you plant the seeds in the right direction and treat them carefully, you will get a good harvest,” Putin said.
Charles Maynes reported from Moscow. John Ruwitch from Beijing.
