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photo source, AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet this week at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan. It is an unusual overseas trip for both the heads of state.
Leaders of India, Pakistan, Turkey and Iran will also attend the SCO Summit to be held in Samarkand from the 15th to the 16th, but the Russian Kremlin emphasized that the meeting with China is “specially important”.
The two leaders met for the last time in February at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and issued a joint statement that “there are no limits” to the friendship between the two countries. A few days following that, Russia invaded Ukraine.
Has anything changed since then? The BBC monitoring team looked at exactly what Russia and China each wanted from the summit.
First, for Putin, a closer relationship with China is the key to building the new “multipolar system” he dreams of. It means that countries like Russia and China will not follow the Western-led world order.
This multipolar system is a concept that has been pursued by Putin for years and is fundamental to his rule, but is becoming more important for Russia in the present situation.
photo source, AFP
The Russian Kremlin emphasized that the meeting with China was “specially important” at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan on the 15th.
After the invasion of Ukraine, Putin was shunned and isolated from the West. In this situation, I look forward to meeting with people who can move and shake the international situation, such as President Xi.
But this summit between the two countries means more to Putin.
Given that it is under unprecedented pressure from sanctions once morest Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, it is likely to show great interest in China’s investment, technology and bilateral trade. In addition, following a large number of Western companies left Russia, Putin is looking forward to filling the void with Chinese companies.
And as the West tries to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and natural gas, Russia will try to divert its energy exports eastward: China.
In addition, they seem to be eager to supply arms to give momentum to stagnant military activity in Ukraine.
China, however, has been extremely wary of direct aid to Russia in the Ukraine war, despite its support for Russia.
photo source, Getty Images
At the 2019 SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan, President Narahi Sun Putin and President Xi Jinping
However, there are pitfalls in the current Russian government’s policy of pursuing closer relations with China. The two countries are still geopolitical rivals, and within Russia there are accusations that Putin has allowed China’s influence to expand in parts of the East.
Meanwhile, President Xi’s visit to Uzbekistan (and Kazakhstan) is the first overseas trip since the 2020 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
After this tour, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will be held in China on October 16th. It is a very sensitive event that will determine whether or not Xi will be re-elected for an unprecedented third term.
Chinese state media have yet to disclose details of the meeting with Putin, but Taiwanese and Hong Kong media see Xi’s decision to attend the summit as a sign to the world that he has full control of the party and the country. did.
Taiwan’s state-run Central News Agency also reported that the visit might create “an awkward situation” as the visit coincided with the recent point in time when the Russian military handed over vast territories occupied in eastern Ukraine at the beginning of the war.
Of course, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Politburo in charge of foreign affairs of the Communist Party of China, reaffirmed the solidarity between the two countries during the recent meeting of Russian Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov, who was regarding to take office, and Li Zhansu, the third-ranking member of the Communist Party of China, chaired the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) earlier this month. He even made a “goodwill visit” to Russia.
Both members of the Politburo and Chairman Li said they expect the two countries to build further relations in the future, and Chairman Li said the relationship will “develop to a new level”.
However, China has been wary of maintaining a “neutral position” on the Ukraine war.
Fear of growing pressure from the West calls for Russia’s support, but he doesn’t want to be seen too close to Putin.
A meeting with Putin, whom Xi once called a “close friend,” was not a big deal, with the Ukraine war rapidly turning once morest Putin, and with dozens of city council members in Russia signing a Twitter petition demanding Putin’s resignation. attention will be drawn
Will Xi distance himself from President Putin or offer a helping hand to avoid further isolation from Putin’s downfall?