Putin Visits China Amidst Trump’s Pomp, Strengthening Ties with Xi Jinping

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart and “long-time good friend” Xi Jinping. The visit comes days after Trump’s visit to China, aimed at stabilising their turbulent relations.

Putin and Xi are set to discuss how to strengthen Russia and China’s strategic partnership and “exchange views on key international and regional issues,” according to a Kremlin statement. Their ties have deepened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Putin visiting Beijing every year since as his country is cut off diplomatically on the world stage.

One topic for discussion could be the construction of the major “Power of Siberia 2” natural gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia. Moscow is keen to get this underway, which would provide a land alternative to crude imported by sea from the Middle East.

Xi and Putin exchanged “congratulatory letters” on Sunday to mark 30 years of their countries’ strategic partnership. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun lauded “the enduring friendship between China and Russia” on Tuesday.

In a video message to the Chinese people, Putin said relations have reached “a truly unprecedented level”, and that “trade between Russia and China continues to grow”. The close strategic relationship between Russia and China plays a major, stabilising role globally. Without allying against anyone, we seek peace and universal prosperity,” he said.

The two leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration after their talks. Putin will likely be keen to show the world that his relations with Xi are unaffected by Trump’s visit. Both sides view ties as “structurally stronger and more stable” than those between China and the United States, Patricia Kim from the Brookings Institution in Washington said.

Beijing has regularly called for talks to end the war in Ukraine but has never condemned Russia for sending in troops, presenting itself instead as a neutral party. Trump and Xi discussed Ukraine last week, but the US president left China without a breakthrough.

The lack of clear outcomes from the Xi-Trump meeting “likely reassures Moscow that Xi did not strike any understanding with Trump that would materially undercut Russian interests”, Kim said.

Putin will be hoping for China to deepen its commitment to Moscow after Trump told Fox News during his visit that Beijing had agreed to buy US oil to feed its “insatiable” appetite for energy. Russia is reliant on sales to China to sustain its war effort, so Putin does not want to lose this support, Lyle Morris from Asia Society’s told AFP.

When it comes to the US-Israeli war on Iran, though, China and Russia may have different priorities. James Char of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University said that China relies on the freedom of the world’s major waterways to sustain its economic activities, and would prefer that the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz end sooner rather than later.

Moscow has been benefitting economically from the fighting in Iran due to the relaxation of sanctions against Russian energy supplies. However, Moscow may have a different view on how to handle the situation, Webster from the Atlantic Council said.