Putin arrives in Beijing for China state visit as Ukraine war intensifies – live | China

The friendship “without borders” between Putin and Xi

Peter Sauer

• Putin’s relationship with Xi first took shape in May 2014 when the Russian leader traveled to Beijing for a two-day state visit to discuss a major gas supply deal. The visit came amid Russia’s annexation of Crimea, which has seen Moscow shunned by much of the Western world.

• Xi immediately returned the favor by visiting Moscow and sitting next to Putin during the city’s victory parade, celebrating his victory over Nazi Germany. The parade was boycotted by Western leaders as Russian-backed rebels seized territory in the east Ukraine.

• In the fall of 2018, the two countries celebrated their newfound military cooperation as China participates for the first time in large-scale strategic exercises organized by Moscow.

• In the midst of the US-China trade war in 2019, Xi flew to Moscow and praised Putin as his “best friend”. During the visit, the Kremlin announced that trade between Russia and China saw almost 25% growth in 2018. Xi ended the trip by presenting Putin with two pandas for the Moscow Zoo.

• Weeks before Putin sends troops to invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Russian leader flew to Beijing where the two leaders celebrated their famous “no holds barred” friendship.

• In an unmistakable show of support for Putin following his decision to invade Ukraine, Xi traveled to Moscow in the spring of 2023.. Amid Moscow’s growing isolation from the West, the three-day summit highlighted the Kremlin’s growing economic dependence on Beijing as bilateral trade between the two countries increased.

The Russian news agency TASS reports that the Russian president has brought a large delegation consisting of five deputy prime ministers, heads of economic, diplomatic and security services, as well as heads of some Russian state-owned energy companies.

TASS indicates that the bilateral negotiations are planned to focus on trade and economic cooperation. The two countries will seek ways to quietly circumvent U.S. restrictions that have reduced Chinese exports to Russia since the post-war boom in both consumer products and dual-use goods that were crucial to Russia’s military machine in Ukraine.

The Biden administration tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports which were revealed on Tuesday, are also likely to be a topic of conversation.

TASS reports that the second stage of the state visit will take place in the city of Harbin, where Putin will attend the opening ceremony of the eighth Russian-Chinese exhibition and the fourth Russian-Chinese forum for interregional cooperation.

Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy aide to the Russian president, told TASS that China was not chosen by chance for the president’s first overseas visit, but as a response to a similar gesture of friendship made by the Chinese president Xi Jinping last year.

Before his arrival in Beijing, the Chinese state media Xinhua published a long interview with Vladimir Putin in which he described the meeting with Xi Jinping as “a dialogue between old friends”.

He also praised China in its initiatives to “resolve the crisis in Ukraine.”

Unfortunately, neither Ukraine nor its Western patrons support these initiatives. They are not ready to participate in an equal, honest and open dialogue based on mutual respect and respect for each other’s interests.”

The war in Ukraine began when Russia invaded the country in February 2022. For more than two years, thousands of soldiers on both sides of the conflict have been killed, while Ukrainian civilians have borne the brunt of Russia’s aggression, with vast numbers either killed or made homeless by Moscow’s indiscriminate attacks.

China acted as a lifeline for Russia after Western sanctions were imposed that sought to punish Moscow for its aggression. Beijing remains one of the leading importers of Russian oil and gas, while trade between the two countries has increased at the same time.

In his interview with Xinhua, Putin criticized “Western elites” in their efforts to “isolate and weaken” Russia.

Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing early Thursday for talks with Xi Jinping, as the Kremlin hopes to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Chinese state media confirmed the Russian president’s arrival for what it described as a state visit from an “old friend”.

By picking China for his first foreign trip since being sworn in for a six-year term that will keep him in power until at least 2030, Putin is seen as sending a message to the world about his priorities and the depth of his personal relationship with Xi.

Both leaders will attend a gala evening marking 75 years since the Soviet Union’s recognition of the People’s Republic of China, proclaimed by Mao Zedong in 1949.

We will monitor his visit and provide you with live updates as they occur.