Putin says Xi Jinping's position on Ukraine is "balanced"; Russian president considered Chinese peace plan.
The US government has spoken out and criticized the Asian country.
By RFI - Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Beijing's stance on the war in Ukraine on Monday (20) and lavished praise on Xi Jinping. The Kremlin chief also said he had considered the peace plan proposed by his ally. According to an expert interviewed by RFIIn drawing closer to Russia, China is demonstrating both pragmatism and opportunism.
Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded an initial informal discussion at the Russian government headquarters. The meeting lasted four and a half hours, according to Russian news agencies.
The two heads of state are now due to have dinner together, followed by further official discussions on Tuesday (21) with the expected signing of agreements to deepen Russian-Chinese cooperation, mainly in the economic sphere.
As Xi's three-day state visit to Russia appears to be a show of support for Putin, the United States and the European Union reaffirmed their stance toward Kyiv by announcing new military aid.
"China's strategy aims to explicitly criticize the United States while implicitly supporting Russia. China demonstrates both pragmatism and opportunism," he told [the source]. RFI Antoine Bondaz, researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research and professor at Sciences Po in Paris.
“Pragmatism because it doesn’t officially align itself with Moscow, simultaneously supporting its economy and the Russian disinformation effort, and sustaining Russia diplomatically. And opportunism because this is a chance for China to obtain concessions from Russia that it hadn’t obtained until now, such as some transfers of military technology,” he says.
China as a negotiator
China, which claims diplomatic influence proportional to the weight of its economy, is posing as a mediator and, last month, released a document urging Moscow and Kiev, in particular, to invest in peace negotiations.
The Chinese president, in turn, praised the "close relations" between Beijing and Moscow, according to the official Russian translation of his remarks.
In an article published before his visit, Xi Jinping had presented his trip as a "journey of friendship, cooperation and peace".
For Putin, Xi's visit is even more important because the Russian leader is increasingly isolated in the West and has been the target of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) since last week.
Ammunition for Ukraine
China is using its role in the recent reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran to present its proposals for a solution to the situation in Ukraine, but is having difficulty convincing Western countries.
The United States, which accuses Chinese authorities of considering supplying weapons to Russia, criticized Beijing's peace plan on Monday.
"The world should not be misled by any tactical decision by Russia, supported by China or any other country, to freeze the conflict on its own terms," said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Kyiv is proceeding cautiously with the Chinese giant, and urged Xi on Monday to "use his influence in Moscow to end the war of aggression."
To signal its support for Ukraine in the face of Beijing's support for Moscow, the European Union said it had released €2 billion to purchase and deliver artillery ammunition to the Ukrainian army.
To reinforce its position, Washington announced a new aid package of $350 million and assured Kyiv of its support "for as long as necessary."
Besides Ukraine, the meeting between Xi and Putin aims to demonstrate the good understanding between Russia and China, at a time when both countries are experiencing strong tensions with the West, even though Moscow seems more dependent on Beijing than the other way around.
In an article published by a Chinese newspaper, Putin said that Russian-Chinese relations "have reached the highest point in their history."
Insulation
Isolated in Europe and now under an arrest warrant from the ICC, Putin needs this close relationship with Beijing more than ever.
Chinese diplomacy on Monday urged the ICC, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, to avoid any "politicization" and to respect the immunity of heads of state. Moscow responded by announcing a criminal investigation against several judges of this international court.
As a sign of defiance, Putin traveled this weekend to Mariopol, a Ukrainian city devastated by Russian bombing.
But beyond diplomatic support, Xi's visit also has economic significance for Russia, which has massively reoriented its economy towards Beijing in the face of Western sanctions linked to the conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow has significantly increased its oil and gas exports to Asian giants like China to offset European embargoes. This makes it increasingly dependent on Beijing, according to Antoine Bondaz.
“There is a growing asymmetry between Russia and China and an extremely strong reversal of the balance of power,” he says. “On the Chinese side, the objective will be to maintain this asymmetry, ensuring that Russia, in Central Asia or elsewhere in the world, does not go against China's interests,” the researcher assesses. “What is clear is that Beijing's means of exerting pressure on Moscow are unprecedented, with extremely close cooperation,” he states.
But Chinese support, according to him, would not negate the effect of European sanctions on Russia. “What is clear is that China is seeking to offset some of the impact of the sanctions. On the economic front, Russia has found new markets and alternatives to Western companies,” he says. The expert cites the automotive sector as an example, “where Chinese industry has taken the place of European industry.”