Shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine, the head of the Kremlin and the Chinese president showed their solidarity.
(Photo: AP)
Dusseldorf In his keynote address this week, Vladimir Putin outlined his vision of a prosperous Asia-Pacific region. At an economic forum in Vladivostok, the Russian President spoke of “new centers of economic and technological growth”. Next week, Putin wants to deepen his blueprint for a global future with Russia’s most important partner.
The Kremlin leader met China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan on September 15 and 16 to outline perspectives – it should be about economic cooperation, military cooperation, and how the two countries deal with systemic conflict with the West. together.
The talks took place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, according to Russia’s Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov. Russia is actively preparing for the next meeting of the two presidents. In addition to Russia and China, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization also includes India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Political observers consider the meeting very important symbolically. Xi Jinping has not left China for more than two years. The fact that his first trip abroad is now aimed at Putin is seen as a clear commitment to Russia. This meeting was especially surprising because his first trip abroad after the coronavirus pandemic was actually supposed to be in Saudi Arabia.
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The two presidents last met at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in early February. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chinese leaders steadfastly supported Putin.
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In the Ukraine war, the Chinese government portrayed itself as neutral, but actually supported Moscow’s position on most points: rejecting NATO’s eastward expansion, accusing the US of fueling tensions, talking about Russia’s “legitimate security concerns” and condemning their western sanctions as illegal. He also refused to identify the Russian invasion as such and avoided talking about the war.
The two countries cooperate closely with each other – also militarily.
(Photo: IMAGO/UPI Photo)
Recently, top US politician Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has massively increased tensions between China and the United States. According to political observers, it should also be an incentive for Beijing to strengthen itself in competition with the West through an alliance with Russia.
In the West, there is a growing concern that the two powers will join forces politically, economically, and militarily. This week, Russian and Chinese troops trained together in the main military maneuver “Vostok”.
However, according to political observers, economic cooperation is more important than military cooperation. Due to the sanctions imposed by the West, China has become Russia’s most important trading partner. For Beijing, Russia is especially in demand as a supplier of raw materials.
The planned G20 summit in Bali in November also shows how close the partnership has become. Both Putin and Xi intend to appear there, as recently announced by host Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Together they can provide a counterbalance to the top politicians converging in the West – a sign of an increasingly bipolar world. Several states threatened to cancel if Putin appeared in person.
Again: Military maneuvers by Russia and China: Should the West fear Putin’s alliance with Xi?
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