Vladimir Putin will visit China on Thursday for the second time in less than a year, at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. This is the latest indication of the two countries’ growing alignment at a time when global fault lines are becoming more pronounced as Russia advances in Ukraine and conflict devastates Gaza.Less than a week after taking office again and prolonging his despotic rule until 2030 as the outcome of an election with no real opposition, Putin is scheduled to arrive in China.
According to Chinese official media, his visit, which is scheduled on May 16–17, is reminiscent of Xi’s own state visit to Moscow slightly more than a year ago, when he, like Putin, announced the unconventional beginning of a new term as president after revising the regulations governing the duration of office.Their meeting comes months ahead of the American presidential elections and as Washington faces mounting international backlash over its support for Israel’s war on Gaza. It’s set to provide a platform for the leaders to discuss how all this can advance their shared ambition to degrade and offer an alternative to American power.
The visit also comes as the two leaders operate within what observers say is a loose but growing coordination of interests between avowedly anti-American countries Iran and North Korea. Pyongyang – which has an economy almost entirely dependent of China – is believed by Western governments to be aiding Russia with war supplies. So too, the US says, is Tehran, which is being bolstered economically by Russia and China and is a powerful player in the conflict in the Middle East.
Putin will arrive for the two-day state visit emboldened by the survival of his wartime economy and amid a major new offensive along key points of the front line in Ukraine. For Xi, freshly returned from a European tour, the visit is an opportunity to showcase that his allegiance to Putin has not broken his ability to engage with the West. In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua published Wednesday ahead of his travel, Putin hailed the “great prospects” of the countries’ partnership and their joint efforts to “strengthen the sovereignty, protect the territorial integrity and security of our countries.”
The leaders aimed to deepen cooperation in “industry and high-tech, outer space and peaceful uses of nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and other innovative sectors,” Putin added. But the optics of the strident allegiance belie a more challenging picture.
Pressure is mounting on Beijing from Washington over its alleged support for Russia’s defense industry. In Europe, Xi had to navigate sharp tensions in France – only welcomed with fanfare in Serbia and Hungary, while China’s key partner, Russia, remains isolated on the world stage.Xi has ramped up his calls for Europe and other countries to help the world avoid a “Cold War,” suggesting they resist what Beijing sees as US efforts to contain China.
But the leader himself – including as he hosts Putin this week – is seen to be tightening relationships to underscore a growing global split that could deepen divisions with the West, whose technology and investment, experts say, China needs.“We live in a more dangerous world, authoritarian powers are increasingly aligned. Russia is receiving support for its war of aggression from China, Iran and North Korea,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned last month.“This reminds us that security is not regional, security is global. And we must work with our like-minded partners around the world to preserve and protect transatlantic security.
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