Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged congratulatory messages ahead of Putin’s visit to Beijing this week, marking a significant development in their bilateral relations. This visit comes just days after former U.S. President Donald Trump’s high-profile trip to China. Xi emphasized the growing cooperation between China and Russia, which has been strengthening over the past 30 years of their strategic partnership, according to Chinese state media.
Putin is set to arrive in China on Tuesday evening for a meeting with Xi on Wednesday morning. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov highlighted that the discussions would cover all aspects of their bilateral relationship, including the potential development of the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. The timing of these back-to-back visits from Russian and U.S. leaders to China has attracted significant global attention, as it’s rare for a country to host both leaders in such quick succession in the post-Cold War era.
The deepening ties between China and Russia have raised concerns in Western nations, particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. China’s economic and diplomatic backing has been pivotal for Russia during this conflict, according to Western diplomats and analysts. The two leaders have met over 40 times, far surpassing Xi’s interactions with Western counterparts. Bilateral trade between China and Russia has skyrocketed since 2022, with China purchasing more than a quarter of Russia’s exports. Notably, China’s substantial purchases of Russian crude oil have provided Moscow with significant revenue for its military efforts in Ukraine.
Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and the evolving Sino-Russian relationship, these topics reportedly did not dominate Trump’s discussions with Xi last week. Instead, their talks concentrated on trade, Taiwan, and the Middle East conflict. Trump mentioned that China acknowledged the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. During the meeting, Xi highlighted Taiwan as a critical issue, cautioning against potential conflict if not managed carefully. Trump left Beijing undecided on a substantial arms deal with Taiwan, a decision highly anticipated by Beijing, which aims to assert control over the self-ruled island.
Joseph Webster, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, suggested that Taiwan could be an underlying theme in the upcoming meeting between Xi and Putin. Webster speculated that Beijing might seek additional fossil fuel agreements with Moscow to secure energy supplies in case of future conflicts. Expanding the Russian oil pipeline capacity to China, as proposed with the Power of Siberia 2, would significantly bolster Beijing’s energy security amid a potential Taiwan contingency.