—— Both leaders to discuss ties, regional and global issues
DM Monitoring
HONG KONG/MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Beijing visit on Thursday is likely to be light on hard deals but will mark the start of his new presidential term with a show of support from his most powerful political partner, Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Putin’s two-day mission is expected to highlight the pair’s vaunted “no limits” partnership in defiance from pressure from the United States over Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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”.
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 centred on countering a US-led order.
“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 on condition of anonymity.
In an interview with China’s news agency Xinhua published early on Wednesday, Putin backed China’s plan for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, saying Beijing had a full understanding of what lay behind it.
“In Beijing, they truly understand its root causes and its global geopolitical meaning,” Putin said, according to a Russian language transcript published on a Kremlin website.
Putin will also discuss economic ties with China’s premier Li Qiang and visit Harbin, a northeast city with historic Russian connections.
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.
But despite the “no limits” relationship – declared by Putin and Xi in Beijing just days before the launch of the invasion in February 2022 – China has so far avoided providing actual weapons and ammunition for Russia’s war effort.
And despite initial internal US talks about sanctioning Chinese banks, US officials said last month they did not yet have such plans.
“I’m sure Putin would like to have China’s help in getting Russia over the line in Ukraine,” said Alexander Neill, a Singapore-based defence analyst.
“What more China can do without incurring action from Washington will be a very closely scrutinised element of this mission,” said Neill.
