Russian president Vladimir Putin will visit Beijing on Thursday on a two-day journey to mark the start of his new presidential term in a show of support from his most powerful political partner, Xi Jinping.
Why Putin Is in Russia
Putin’s two-day mission is expected to highlight the pairs ‘no limit’ partnership – which the men toasted to in February 2022 as a stark counterweight to the global influence of the United States.
Xi and Putin’s partnership has increasingly come under pressure as the Biden administration sought to isolate Russia from its vital Chinese lifeline after Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, which began later in the same month.
The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed Putin’s trip on Tuesday, saying Xi and Putin would exchange views on ties and ‘international and regional issues of common concern’.
The Weight of His Visit
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 world view centered on countering a US-led order.
Russia Sends Word to the West
‘China is Russia’s strategic partner – this is the path chosen by the president of Russia and the leader of China – and nothing is going to change that no matter what the West tries to say or do,’ a Russian official said.
READ ALSO: Grandfather, 84, commits SUICIDE after ‘losing hope’ over chronic pain after NHS knee operation
Other analysts have said that the Xi and Putin meeting carries weight in itself as: ‘The very act of receiving Putin by Beijing – on its own – is already a form of support to Russia since China is the sole major country left that has not isolated Moscow,’ said James Char, a security scholar at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Why China Needs Russia
‘China needs to have Russia on its side to subvert the US-led world order and in its long-term struggle with the US for geopolitical supremacy.’
Pressure is continuing to mount on Beijing from Washington over its alleged support for Russia’s defence industry, but Xi has ramped up his calls for Europe and other countries to help the world avoid a ‘Cold War,’ suggesting they resist what Beijing sees as US efforts to contain China.
Putin’s arrival follows a mission to Beijing late last month from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in part to warn China’s top diplomat Wang Yi against deepening military support for Russia.
