Russian President Vladimir Putin with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin became the latest foreign leader to visit Beijing on Wednesday, hot on the heels of his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, whose return to office last year has scrambled geopolitics and led many countries to seek closer ties with China.
Meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, the seat of China’s government, Mr. Putin said the “all-encompassing partnership” between the two countries had reached “an unprecedented level” even “against the backdrop of unfavourable external factors.”
While Mr. Putin and Mr. Xi often refer to each other as “old friends,” the war in Ukraine has changed the dynamics of their relationship, pushing Moscow further into Beijing’s orbit and making Russia more dependent than ever on Chinese economic support in the face of stringent Western sanctions.
China and Russia's leaders lauded the progress in their nations’ strategic ties as they met for talks in Beijing.
Reuters
With the Ukraine conflict in something of a stalemate, and Kyiv showing an unexpected ability to strike inside Russia, including recent drone attacks near Moscow, Mr. Putin is visiting Beijing at a time of relative weakness, even as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran has made Russian energy supplies more vital to many countries, including China.
“Vladimir Putin is in a potentially dangerous position, including vis-à-vis Xi Jinping,” said Joseph Webster, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and author of the China-Russia Report newsletter. “Putin may be facing his most serious domestic political test” in years, he added, and one purpose for Mr. Xi in Wednesday’s meetings was likely to “gauge his Russian counterpart’s domestic political standing.”
China buys more than 50 per cent of Russia’s energy exports, and this year alone, imports of Russian LNG and oil by China are up 16 and 26 per cent respectively, according to customs data. While Beijing has maintained large energy stockpiles since the Ukraine war began, protecting its economy somewhat against the disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East, the loss of Iranian oil – coming soon after the U.S. cut China off from its Venezuelan suppliers – could give Russia some rare leverage, particularly as Moscow pushes to finalize the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline after years of delays.
Mr. Putin said Wednesday the “driving force of economic co-operation is Russian-Chinese interaction in the energy sector.”
“Amid the crisis in the Middle East, Russia continues to maintain its role as a reliable supplier of resources, and China as a responsible consumer of these resources,” he added.
Mr. Webster was skeptical of the likelihood of a new pipeline, however, noting it “faces significant commercialization headwinds, including high capital costs for materials and labour, financing hurdles, stranded asset risks and project schedule delays.”
Welcoming Mr. Putin outside the Great Hall of the People for his 25th visit to China, Mr. Xi was visibly more relaxed than when he hosted Mr. Trump. The two men shook hands and smiled warmly, and at one point Mr. Xi appeared to laugh at a comment by his guest, as Mr. Putin greeted other top Chinese officials with visible familiarity.
A ceremony with soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army and cheering children was identical to that enjoyed by Mr. Trump a week earlier, after which the two leaders proceeded inside, without the international media scrum that followed the U.S. leader everywhere during his time in Beijing.
Both sides agreed Wednesday to extend the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation, first ratified 25 years ago, and also signed a new “joint statement on furthering comprehensive partnership.”
Analysis: Trump touts Iran success in China, but it’s Xi who came out on top
“Given the intensive summit diplomacy since the beginning of the year, we can say that, as China’s national strength grows and its international standing rises, the country is increasingly becoming an important centre of international politics,” said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University. “China is playing an ever-greater role in international affairs, and the international community has higher expectations of us.”
After meetings with Mr. Xi last week, Mr. Trump boasted of Chinese support for opening the vital Strait of Hormuz and ensuring Iran never gets a nuclear weapon – both long-standing Chinese positions. While Mr. Xi largely avoided commenting on the conflict in the Middle East while the U.S. leader was in Beijing, in remarks to Mr. Putin, he said it was “imperative” to secure an “immediate cessation of hostilities.”
Repeating a phrase often used when discussing U.S. actions abroad, Mr. Xi said it was vital to prevent the world regressing to “the law of the jungle.”
China has been far less critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling for peace while offering economic, diplomatic and – according to Western intelligence agencies – military support for Moscow.
In the joint statement Wednesday, China and Russia said they will “improve cooperation mechanisms and strengthen interaction between the armed forces of the two countries,” according to the semi-official Tass news agency.
As the two leaders met, both countries flexed their military muscles, with Russia staging a massive three-day drill that includes nuclear weapons, and China dispatching a naval task group led by the Liaoning aircraft carrier to the Western Pacific.
The latter deployment is sure to increase tensions with Japan, after relations between Tokyo and Beijing plummeted last year after remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about the self-ruled democracy of Taiwan.
Ms. Takaichi spoke to Mr. Trump immediately after he met with Mr. Xi, but that the U.S. leader did not stop in Tokyo while he was in East Asia was seen as something of a snub. As Mr. Putin arrived in Beijing, the Japanese leader was herself in South Korea, shoring up an increasingly important relationship with Seoul as both countries have come to doubt U.S. commitments to their defence.
The two leaders inspect an honour guard at the Great Hall of the People.Maxim Shemetov/The Canadian Press
Taipei, too, has been looking askance at Washington under Mr. Trump, and considerable attention was paid last week for any signs Mr. Trump had backed away from support for Taiwan, particularly suggestions he could hold up a planned arms sale as a “very good negotiating chip” with Beijing.
“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” Mr. Trump told Fox News on Friday when asked about Taiwan. “And, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down.”
Speaking Wednesday on the second anniversary of his inauguration, Taiwanese President William Lai said, “Taiwan’s future must not be determined by external forces or hijacked by fear, division or short-term benefits.”
“Taiwan’s future must be decided collectively by its 23 million people,” he added.
With reports from Alexandra Li in Beijing