Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a signing ceremony following their talks in Beijing, on May 16.SERGEI BOBYLYOV/Getty Images
Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing on Thursday, as both men pledged to deepen the strategic partnership between their two countries, despite growing Western pressure over the war in Ukraine.
Mr. Putin is in China this week for a two-day state visit as he seeks to shore up economic ties with his most important ally after new sanctions by the United States targeting Chinese dealings with Russia and the threat of similar action by the European Union.
Mr. Xi said he would co-operate with Mr. Putin, whom he described as an “old friend,” to achieve “the development and rejuvenation of our respective countries, and work together to uphold fairness and justice in the world.”
“The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it,” Mr. Xi said.
Beijing laid on huge pomp and ceremony for Mr. Putin’s visit, with an honour guard, a marching band and a 21-gun salute. Following private discussions, the two leaders formally signed a statement deepening their strategic relationship, building on a “no limits” partnership declared in February, 2022, just days ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Putin praised Mr. Xi for trying to solve the Ukraine crisis, saying he would brief the Chinese leader in detail on the situation in the country, where Russia has recently made significant advances.
“We are grateful to the Chinese friends and colleagues for the initiatives they put forward to solve this problem,” Mr. Putin said.
Beijing has put itself forward as a potential peacemaker in the conflict, but its proposals so far – which do not involve Russia giving back any occupied territory – have been a non-starter in Kyiv and the wider West, where China is widely seen as an ally of the Kremlin’s.
In the joint statement, Russia said it appreciates China’s “objective and unbiased position on the Ukrainian issue.” Both sides called for dialogue as the “optimal form of resolving the Ukrainian crisis,” while saying it remains necessary to “eliminate the root causes” of the situation “and adhere to the principle of the indivisibility of security, taking into account the legitimate interests and concerns of all countries.”
This latter passage is an apparent nod to Russian concerns about NATO expansion in eastern Europe and particularly the potential of Ukraine to join the alliance. Later in the statement, China and Russia say they oppose “NATO’s destructive line in the Asia-Pacific region,” as well as the U.S.-led AUKUS security pact, which already includes Australia and Britain and is poised to expand to Japan and South Korea.
Much of the statement, which runs for several thousand words, is reminiscent of a similar document released during Mr. Putin’s previous visit to Beijing in 2022. It contains a laundry list of long-standing concerns from both sides, with Russia offering support to China on the issue of Taiwan and the South China Sea, and Beijing condemning the recent terrorist attack in Moscow and criticizing U.S. sanctions against Russia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned what they cast as increasingly aggressive U.S. behavior on May 16 and pledged to deepen their countries' already close defense and military ties. Putin's two-day visit to Beijing comes as the war in Ukraine, where Russian forces are advancing on several fronts, rumbles on.
Reuters
Alexander Korolev, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, said Mr. Putin’s trip this week is a “continuation of a long-term trend, another step toward a greater consolidation of the China-Russia strategic alignment.”
“Putin’s visit is a demonstration to the rest of the world that Russia is not alone despite all the sanctions, that China is ready to stand by it and continue economic co-operation,” he added.
Last year, bilateral trade between China and Russia reached a record US$240-billion. Russia is now China’s largest supplier of oil, surpassing Saudi Arabia, while China is a key provider of technology such as telecoms equipment and microprocessors, as well as controversial “dual-use” components – non-lethal technologies that can nevertheless be used for military purposes – that Western governments say have made their way onto the battlefield in Ukraine.
The U.S. recently sanctioned multiple Chinese companies over dealings with Russia, and the European Union has said it will follow suit if Beijing does not rein in the export of “dual-use” components.
But Joseph Webster, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and author of the China-Russia Report newsletter, said that given Beijing’s continued pro-Russia neutrality throughout the conflict, the two sides would likely find a way to resume China-to-Russia shipments were they to stop.
Such exports, he added, have provided “critical material support to the Kremlin’s war economy.”
The joint statement published Thursday calls for both sides to “strengthen the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership in the energy sector,” boost bilateral trade, and increase the share of this trade done in their “national currencies,” an apparent reference to the increasing shift toward using the Chinese renminbi since the war in Ukraine cut Russia off from the international U.S. dollar-dominated financial system.
On Friday, Mr. Putin will travel to the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin, on the Russian border, where he will attend a trade show dedicated to cross-border exchanges.
Western pressure on Beijing has so far failed to stop a growing closeness between China and Russia, with both countries seeking to establish an alternative international system to one they see as dominated by the U.S.
“Together we work toward a more just and democratic, multipolar world order,” Mr. Putin said Thursday, one based on “cultural and civilizational variety and the measured balance of interests of all members of the international community.”
Along with existing alternative international groups such as BRICS and the Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Mr. Putin said both sides would work to build “reliable and adequate security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, with no place for closed military-political alliances.”
The joint statement calls for Moscow and Beijing to “further deepen trust and co-operation in the military field,” with more joint exercises and patrols.