Xi Jinping, leader of China, meets the President of Russia this week, Vladimir V Putinin the highest-level visit by a world leader to Russia since before the pandemic.
More than a year after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Western officials will monitor the meeting closely for signs of how far China may be willing to go to mediate the conflict.
Chinese officials have framed the meeting in part as a mission to foster constructive talks between Russia and Ukraine, though US officials have been skeptical of Xi’s recent efforts to become a global peacemaker.
Here are five things to know about the China-Russia relationship:
Are China and Russia allies?
China and Russia are not formal allies, which means they have not pledged to defend each other with military support.
But the two countries are neighbors strategic partnersa relationship that deepened during the Ukrainian war, as Russia became increasingly isolated from many other countries.
Chinese officials said the current relationship was at an “all-time high”.
The association is fueled by the shared goal of trying weaken American power and influence.
Relations between China and Russia have not always been so cordial. Fierce adversaries in the 1960s, the two sides clashed in 1969 over disputed territory along their border, raising fears of a nuclear confrontation between the two countries.
The two countries were also to compete for influence in Central Asia, a region the Kremlin has long considered its territory but is increasingly important to China’s geopolitical and economic ambitions.
China is building more railways, highways and pipelines in similar former Soviet republics Kazakhstan and Uzbekistanwho remain dependent on Russia as a key security partner.
How close are Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin?
Shortly before the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, Xi and Putin publicly declared that relations between their countries “knew no bounds”.
Xi has often described Putin as his best friend.
During an economic forum in Russia in 2018, the two fried Russian pancakes and drank shot glasses of vodka together.
For Xi’s 66th birthday in 2019, Putin gave him a cake and a giant box of ice cream.
In an article published Sunday in a Chinese newspaper, Putin said the two had a “very cordial relationship,” noting that they had met some 40 times in recent years and that they had always found time to speak at “no tie” events.
What is the economic relationship between Russia and China?
The economic ties between China and Russia have been strengthened significantly since the first Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, when Crimea was annexed.
At the time, China helped Russia do it evade sanctions imposed by the Obama administration that were supposed to block Russia’s access to world markets.
Following the tightening of sanctions against Russia following the start of the war in Ukraine last year, China has helped supply many of the products Russia had previously purchased from Western allies, such as computer chips, smartphones and raw materials necessary for military equipment.
Total trade between Russia and China skyrocketed last year.
What does Putin want from China?
Putin needs China to help him sustain his economy, battered by Western sanctions.
For the Russian leader, China has increasingly become a lifeline for investment and trade.
After Western countries limited their purchases of Russian crude and natural gas last year, China helped make up the decline by buying more energy from Russia.
At the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia asked China for military equipment and economic aid, according to US officials.
US officials recently said that China is considering the possibility of delivering weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, a claim China has denied.
China has refrained from condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, despite its foreign policy being based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Although China has presented itself as a neutral party in the war in Ukraine, it has backed Russia’s arguments, accusing the United States and NATO of initiating the conflict.
But China has also been hesitant to fully support Russia.
The turmoil and instability resulting from the war could threaten China’s growth and complicate its efforts to strengthen its economic ties around the world.
Last September, after Putin and Xi met in person, Putin acknowledged that China had raised “questions and concerns” about the war in Ukraine.
What does Xi want from Russia?
Xi wants Putin to join him as a like-minded ally in challenging US and Western dominance.
In an article published in a Russian newspaper on Monday before the visit, Xi said China and Russia should do so to cooperate to overcome challenges to their safety, including “harmful acts of hegemony, domination and intimidation“.
Xi has taken a tougher stance against what he calls a US effort to contain China’s rise, portraying China as a nation under siege, just as Putin did in his speeches to Russians.
Xi has urged Chinese industries to reduce their reliance on Western technology, hailing China’s growth as proof it does not need to embrace Western political values.
China has bought more advanced weapons from Russia to modernize its military, and the two nations have increased their joint military exercises.
Last year, while President Biden was visiting Tokyo, China and Russia sent bombers to the seas of Northeast Asia as a show of force.
Nicole Hong is a journalist specializing in China. She previously worked for The Wall Street Journal, where she was part of a team that won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting.
c.2023 The New York Times Society
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.