Putin Visits China as Moscow and Beijing Reaffirm Ties

Vladimir Putin of Russia will be visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Putin and Xi have become increasingly close in recent years, as they have both faced sanctions from the United States and have become increasingly more in conflict with the US. Russia especially needs China's support right now as it fights the war in Ukraine. With so many sanctions being lodged against Russia because of the war, trade and economic opportunity with China is one of the few things keeping Russia's economy afloat. The difference with this meeting, as compared to other ones, is that now China has less of an upper hand than before. Earlier this year, in March, at another meeting, Putin absolutely relied on China and had no room to negotiate, but with China’s economy struggling, they are on more equal footing. It is expected that the leaders will talk about the situation in Israel, as well as the possibility of directing the Siberia 2 gas pipeline through Mongolia and into China, which would be in China’s interest, as it normally would go into Europe. Overwhelmingly, both countries have acted in a way recently that contradicts the actions of Western nations like the US. In the Israel conflict, they have refused to condemn Hamas, and China has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine. For the most part, they seem to act together, but Russia still maintains a certain level of autonomy by acting independently. An example is his recent meeting with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. The meeting should show how both nations mean to go forward with the new global impacts of the Israel conflict and their Muslim allies in the Middle East.

Putin Visits China as Moscow and Beijing Reaffirm Ties - The New York Times

By: Ben Pienkos