The President of Russia was on a state visit to China. During the two-day visit, the newly re-elected President of Russia visited Beijing and Harbin. The visit to Harbin was not coincidental; the city was founded in 1898 by exiles from Russia. It later became a refuge for those fleeing Bolshevik repression, turning it into a center of Russian emigration.
President Putin thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping for creating a warm atmosphere. He described the talks as substantive and loaded with meaning.
“The future of humanity depends on humanity,” Putin said. Beyond the usual platitudes, he emphasized that Russia’s and China’s relationship is not directed against other countries.
What might this mean?
Before Putin visited China, Xi Jinping had toured Europe, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Political commentator Buka Petriashvili discussed the significance of this visit with “Fortuna”:
“The meeting between Xi Jinping and Macron was crucial, and the European Commission President attended it. Macron reiterated that Europe does not wish to have a tense situation or a cold war with China. Naturally, the discussion touched on the war in Russia, with Macron stating the position of France and the majority that China should not aid Russia in this war. There are ongoing requests and negotiations that China should exert pressure on Russia to make concessions regarding the war in Ukraine. However, China maintained its stance that it is not a party to the conflict, cannot exert pressure, and remains committed to sovereignty and peaceful negotiations.
Regarding Ukraine, China remained steadfast in its position. The Chinese leader reaffirmed their alliance with Russia and said they would not act against Russian interests.
Friendship Against the USA:
Putin remarked, “The approaches of Russia and China to international and regional problems are close or coincide.” Global media almost unanimously noted Moscow and Beijing’s convergence of views, calling the leaders of these countries “best friends.”
The BBC states: “Putin has arrived in China to strengthen friendship with Xi against the USA.” American channel CBS News focuses on Putin and Xi Jinping’s words about expanding the partnership between the countries, making it increasingly ‘limitless.’
CNN writes that Xi Jinping considers Putin an irreplaceable partner in changing the world order. Both leaders deem the current global situation unfair. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov practically confirmed the impressions of the world media.
“Xi Jinping’s global security initiative was discussed during our visit,” TASS reports Lavrov saying. “Putin’s visit affirms the comprehensive partnership between Moscow and Beijing.” British Sky News saw deep symbolism in the reception of the Russian president. “The banquet, tea ceremony, walk in the park – all of this is meant to show the world that Xi Jinping and Putin are closer than ever. The message from Moscow and Beijing is clear – the West will bid farewell to the leading role in the new order.”
Interestingly, the leaders of Russia and China have met 40 times in 15 years since their introduction in 2009, when Xi Jinping was the Vice-Chairman of China.
American Warning:
Before these visits, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China. Aka Zarkua, editor of “Realpolitik,” noted in a conversation with “Fortuna”:
“Since the start of the war, China has acted much more cautiously, but in recent months, dual-use goods – chips and drones – have increasingly been supplied to Russia. Blinken’s visit should probably be seen as a final warning, after which the American administration will be prepared to move to direct actions. Whether these warnings will be heeded depends on the calculations of the Chinese leader. We see an era of significant changes in China. We also see growing economic problems and a crisis in the real estate sector. Therefore, it is hard to say whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping will heed the warnings, but China is likely primarily interested in its well-being.”
Buka Petriashvili noted: “Chinese financial institutions and banks have serious problems. Antony Blinken voiced that Chinese banks that help Russia evade sanctions and supply semiconductors will face US sanctions.”
At the concluding press conference of the Chinese visit, Putin was asked about settlements with Chinese banks and US sanctions. The Russian president noted that Western restrictions against third countries are illegitimate. To solve the problem, Russia and China will activate national tax systems to serve economic operators. According to him, the process has already been launched.
Russia – China’s Mule:
Buka Petriashvili:
“Regarding the war in Ukraine, it has been noted that Russia welcomed China’s peace plan. Let me remind you that in 2023, China published and based its conflict resolution approach on the principles of the UN Charter. An interesting point in this joint statement is the support for the cessation of any steps that would deepen the conflict, and it also mentions the phrase ‘before the conflict enters an unpredictable phase.’
What does this imply?
It could be a threat directed at Ukraine and its international partners. The fact is that with this visit, China reaffirmed its support for Russia. The parties signed over 80 agreements.
China is calmly conquering Russia, and Russia is becoming China’s gas station and vassal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used an interesting phrase to describe the visit, saying the guest is the host’s mule. This was immediately translated to mean that Russia is China’s mule. It demonstrated that Russia is ready to make more concessions, as long as China does not withdraw its support and continues to supply semiconductors, which are crucial for Russian weaponry.”
