Putin in China to meet 'dear friend' Xi

BEIJING: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Tuesday to meet his “dear friend” Xi Jinping and bolster their relationship at a summit that will be overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war.

China welcomes representatives of 130 countries for a forum of President Xi’s vast trade and infrastructure Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

At the top of the guest list is Putin, who is on his first trip to a major global power since the Ukraine invasion.

He is due to hold talks with Xi on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

“During the talks, special attention will be paid to international and regional issues,” the Kremlin said in a statement, without elaborating.

Russia, which has traditionally maintained good relations with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, has called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the conflict.

In Beijing, Putin is on a mission to strengthen the already strong bond with his communist neighbour, though experts say Moscow is increasingly the junior partner in the relationship.

China is Russia’s largest trading partner, with trade between the nations reaching a record $190 billion last year, Beijing customs data shows.

While the BRI forum provides a fresh opportunity for Putin and Xi to showcase their alliance, experts do not expect any new major agreements to be announced.

“Russia is aware that China doesn’t want to sign any high publicity deals,” Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told AFP. “China holds all of the cards,” he said.

Xi kicked off the summit Tuesday with talks with Chilean and Kazakhstan Presidents Gabriel Boric and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chinese state media reported.

Ahead of the forum Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked China for inviting Putin as the summit’s “chief guest”, according to a readout from Moscow, which later said the top diplomat would head to North Korea after Beijing.

Putin and Xi will discuss the countries’ ties “in their entirety” when they meet this week, Lavrov told Wang.

Wang, in turn, said China “appreciates” Russia’s support for the BRI.

At the heart of the deepening partnership is the relationship between Xi and Putin, who have described each other as “dear friends”.

“President Xi Jinping calls me his friend, and I call him my friend, too,” Putin told Chinese state broadcaster CGTN ahead of his visit, according to a Kremlin readout.