Beijing: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Tuesday for a two-day state visit for talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that Kremlin hopes will deepen a strategic partnership between the two most powerful geopolitical rivals of the United States. This is Putin's first foreign trip since he began his fifth term in office and is testimony to the "no limits" partnership announced with China in 2022.
The two continent-sized authoritarian states, increasingly in dispute with democracies and NATO, seek to gain influence in Africa, the Middle East and South America. China has backed Russia's claim that President Vladimir Putin launched his assault on Ukraine in 2022 because of Western provocations, without producing any solid evidence.
By picking China for his first foreign trip since being sworn in for a six-year term that will keep him in power until at least 2030, Putin is sending a message to the world about his priorities and the depth of his personal relationship with Xi. Ahead of his visit, the Russian President praised Xi for helping to build a "strategic partnership" with Russia based on national interests and deep mutual trust.
What will Putin do in China?
Announcing his visit, Putin said, "It was the unprecedentedly high level of the strategic partnership between our countries that determined my choice of China as the first state that I would visit after officially taking office as president of the Russian Federation...We will try to establish closer cooperation in the field of industry and high technology, space and peaceful nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, renewable energy sources and other innovative sectors."
Putin and Xi will participate in a gala evening that will commemorate 75 years since the Soviet Union recognised the People's Republic of China, declared by Mao Zedong in 1949. The Russian President will also visit Harbin in northeastern China, a city with strong ties to Russia. Both leaders share a worldview that sees the West as decadent and in decline.
On the eve of the visit, Putin said in an interview with China's state-run Xinhua news agency that the Kremlin is prepared to negotiate over the conflict in Ukraine. "We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours," he said.
"We have never refused to negotiate. We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours," Putin further told Xinhua.
The Kremlin said in a statement that during their talks this week, Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will “have a detailed discussion on the entire range of issues related to the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation and determine the new directions for further development of cooperation between Russia and China and also have a detailed exchange of opinions on the most acute international and regional issues.”
China's support to Russia amid Ukraine conflict
The Russian leader's two-day trip comes as his country's forces have pressed an offensive in northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region that began last week in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began, forcing almost 8,000 people to flee their homes. The war has entered a critical stage for Ukraine's depleted military which is awaiting new weapons from the US.
China has strengthened its trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the United States and its allies imposed sanctions against both countries, particularly against Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The West has accused China of playing a crucial role in helping Russia withstand the sanctions and has supplied key technology which Russia has used on the battlefield in Ukraine.
China has backed Russia politically in the conflict in Ukraine and has continued to export machine tools, electronics and other items seen as contributing to the Russian war effort, without actually exporting weaponry. China has sought to project itself as a neutral party in the conflict, but has declared a “no limits” relationship with Russia in opposition to the West. It also proposed a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine, calling for a ceasefire and denouncing sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said any negotiations must include a restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression, and security guarantees for Ukraine.
While diplomats and analysts expect Putin to push Xi for further support for Russia's war economy, from machines and chemicals to help its military industries to more discounted oil and gas purchases, Putin's trip is likely to be heavily symbolic of a shared worldview centred on countering a US-led order.
(with inputs from agencies)
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