Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Beijing on Tuesday morning. On Wednesday he will meet his counterpart Xi Jinping during a major multilateral summit that should be partly overshadowed by the current conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is making his first trip to a major world power since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, October 17, to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, the next day, officials announced. from Russian news agencies.
China will host representatives from some 130 countries until Wednesday for the “New Silk Roads” forum, a major diplomatic event that should help strengthen its international stature. “On October 18, 2023 in Beijing, on the sidelines of the Third International Belt and Road Forum, talks will be held between the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping,” Moscow announced.
The two “will discuss in a friendly and frank manner (…) the urgent problems of bilateral practical cooperation and the international agenda,” explained the Kremlin’s diplomatic advisor, Yuri Ushakov. Ahead of the New Silk Roads forum, the Russian and Chinese foreign ministers met in Beijing on Monday. Sergei Lavrov thanked China for making Vladimir Putin the “chief guest” of this meeting.
Strengthening ties between Moscow and Beijing
Last March, Vladimir Putin received Xi Jinping and showed him their understanding, advocating for a strengthening of economic and military cooperation to counter what they present as American hegemony.
Strongly sanctioned by the West due to its offensive against Ukraine, Russia has been seeking for several months to strengthen its economic, military, energy, etc. ties. Moscow now finds itself “in a situation of unprecedented dependence on Beijing,” especially economically, says Bjorn Alexander Duben, an international relations expert at Jilin University (China).
Will there be any surprises during Vladimir Putin’s visit? Few experts expect big announcements and, above all, it should be an opportunity for Beijing to show its symbolic support for Moscow. “Russia is aware that China does not want to sign highly publicized agreements,” Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told AFP. “It is China that holds all the cards.”
A summit partly overshadowed by the war between Israel and Hamas
However, the world’s media will focus its attention on the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. China calls for the protection of populations. But Western leaders criticized him for not condemning Hamas.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday. The latter had asked Beijing to use its “influence” to calm the situation in the Middle East.
China maintains excellent relations with Iran, which supports Hamas but also the Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah which, based in Lebanon, could open a new front against Israel.
The Chinese government also sponsored the spectacular March agreement to restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. As for Chinese Middle East envoy Zhai Jun, he is expected to visit the region this week to promote a ceasefire.
*With AFP; adapted from its French original
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