In a significant diplomatic move, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged congratulatory messages prior to Putin’s anticipated visit to Beijing. This visit comes just days after former U.S. President Donald Trump’s summit in China. Xi highlighted the deepening and strengthening of Russia-China cooperation, as reported by Chinese state media, marking the 30th anniversary of their strategic partnership.
Putin is set to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday evening, with a meeting with Xi scheduled for Wednesday morning, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. Discussions between the two leaders are expected to cover all aspects of bilateral relations, including the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project. Analysts have noted the rarity of China hosting leaders from both the U.S. and Russia in such quick succession, a notable event in the post-Cold War era.
The evolving China-Russia relationship has raised concerns in the West, particularly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. China’s economic and diplomatic backing of Russia is seen as sustaining the conflict by some Western diplomats and analysts. Trade between the two nations has reached unprecedented levels since 2022, with China purchasing over a quarter of Russia’s exports. Notably, China’s acquisition of Russian crude oil has provided Moscow with significant revenue for its war efforts in Ukraine.
Since the onset of the conflict, Beijing has bought more than $367 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels, a move that has bolstered China’s energy security amid disruptions in the Middle East. These purchases have become especially crucial with the halting of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Despite these developments, the relationship between Russia and China, as well as the Ukraine war, were not major topics during Trump’s recent talks with Xi, which focused on trade, Taiwan, and Middle Eastern tensions.
In those discussions, Xi emphasized the importance of handling Taiwan-related issues to avoid potential conflict. Trump, before departing Beijing, stated he had not yet decided on a substantial arms deal with Taiwan, a decision that could significantly impact U.S.-China relations. According to Joseph Webster from the Atlantic Council, Taiwan could be a pivotal topic in the Xi-Putin talks. He suggests that Beijing might be pursuing additional fossil fuel agreements with Moscow to secure energy supplies amid potential future conflicts. Enhancing the capacity of Russian oil pipelines to China could play a crucial role in Beijing’s energy strategy in the event of a Taiwan crisis. Russia is encouraging China to advance with the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, which would expand the gas network by 50 billion cubic meters.