Russian President Vladimir Putin was in China on Tuesday for a two-day state visit, just days after Donald Trump completed a closely watched trip to Beijing that produced headlines on trade but no clear breakthrough on Ukraine or Iran.
During the trip, the Russian leader was due to discuss with Chinese President Xi Jinping how to “further strengthen the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between Moscow and Beijing, the Kremlin said.
Putin and Xi were also expected to “exchange views on key international and regional issues” and sign a joint declaration after their talks, the Kremlin added.
Putin was also scheduled to discuss economic and trade cooperation with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
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Long ties
The visit comes during the 25th anniversary year of the 2001 China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation and Friendly Cooperation and the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a China-led regional bloc sometimes described as an “Asian NATO”.
Putin’s visit came four days after US President Donald Trump left China. Trump claimed last Friday that he had secured "fantastic” trade deals, including a Chinese commitment to buy 200 Boeing aircraft and more US oil and soybeans. Beijing did not announce any formal agreement and details remained vague.
Trump also discussed Ukraine with Xi, but left without any public sign of a change in China’s position on the war.
Negotiations to end the fighting, mediated by the United States, have stalled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict earlier this year, while Kyiv has urged Washington to pressure Beijing to use its influence over Moscow.
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Ukraine stance
While Trump’s visit may prove a one-off, Putin has travelled to Beijing 13 times as head of state. Xi has visited Russia 11 times, but travelled to the United States only three times.
China has long presented itself as neutral on Ukraine, regularly calling for talks while stopping short of condemning Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Beijing also denies supplying Moscow with weapons or military components, although Western governments have accused Chinese companies of helping Russia’s war effort.
But during a visit to China just days before Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin and Xi signed a joint-statement saying relations between Russia and China “are superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era” and that friendship between the two countries “has no limits”.
A recent report by the Council on Foreign Relations said China had “deepened its support for Russia’s war effort through intelligence sharing, expanded drone supplies, and closer military cooperation”, while also strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with Moscow.
(with newswires)
