The two leaders demonstrated a strong bond, heralding a new era in China-Russia relations and even sharing a brief embrace.
Washington has cautioned Beijing against trying to simultaneously strengthen ties in Europe while embracing Moscow, which it considers the “biggest threat to European security in a long time.”
It is significant that Putin’s visit—his first official international trip since being re-elected for a fifth term—was to China, at a time when Washington and its allies are isolating Russia’s economy and supporting Ukrainian forces in the third year of Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor.
“Putin is relying on his ‘dear friend’ in China to continue supporting his country’s wartime economy, including through oil purchases,” the Washington, D.C.-based Atlantic Council think tank wrote Thursday. “At the same time, Xi is looking to lock in a junior partner for China as its economy faces de-risking by Europe and new tariffs from the United States.”
During a press conference following their discussions, the leaders articulated their vision for the future of international relations as more stable and conducive to world peace compared to the Western-led world order, as per a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry.
Xi described Sino-Russian relations as “a model” for international relations and indirectly criticized Washington, mentioning that the “ghost of the Cold War mentality” persists and that “hegemony, bloc confrontation, and power politics” still pose threats to global security, according to the statement.
