The Russian President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China this week. The meeting was held this week and is the latest sign that could deepen strategic ties between both nations.
As announced on Tuesday, Putin will make a two-day visit to China from Thursday to honor Xi’s invitation.
This trip will Mark Putin’s first overseas trip since he began his fifth tenure in office last week.
This meeting comes at a time when the Kremlin’s reliance on China for trade and Political backing seems to be growing. Now Kremlin must strengthen its “no limits” partnership with Beijing on all fronts.
According to Max Hess, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Putin has wanted three things from China in the last two years.
The three things include “a deal for the Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline and further support for the war in Ukraine, especially in terms of hardware”. Lastly, he wants to also gain access to the Chinese financial markets to further Russia’s trade with Chinese currency.
Max Hess explained all these to CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Wednesday.
He added that some remarkable little progress has been observed all along, and it’s Putin reaching out to China for Russia’s gain.
Pressing Forward for Russia
In an interview with state media Xinhua, published before Putin’s visit, the Russian President spoke about the Russia-China trade relations.
Putin confirmed that the trade relations between both countries have developed rapidly. This showcases their ability to properly handle external challenges and crises.
On China’s peace proposal on the Ukraine war, he mentioned that he was open to dialogues that could calm the conflict.
However, Beijing had dropped a 12-point plan over a year ago offering vague principles for bringing the war to an end. It wasn’t welcomed by Ukraine and its Western allies.
According to Hess, President Vladimir Putin will remain in Ukraine for a long time. There are no plans to give up on this cause.
The Russian leader is strategically “pressing his advantages” on the battlefield and likewise being diplomatic with China.
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