Advertisement
Red carpet for Putin: why China-Russia ties outpace Beijing’s engagement with Washington
Donald Trump’s recent state visit appears unlikely to fundamentally reshape or overshadow broader agenda of Sino-Russian cooperation
3-MIN READ3-MIN
3
Listen
Vanessa Caiin Shanghai
China has rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 25th visit to the country, underscoring a frequency of head-of-state diplomacy that far outpaces its engagement with the United States.
Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a two-day state visit, less than a week after US President Donald Trump wrapped up his own closely watched trip to China.
This marks the first time China has hosted the leaders of Russia and the US in the same month outside a multilateral setting.
Yet, the rapid succession of the summits is unlikely to fundamentally reshape or overshadow the broader agenda of China-Russia cooperation.
Advertisement
Numerous joint statements have reaffirmed that the ties binding Beijing and Moscow are defined by long-standing, highly reciprocal and frequent exchanges.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Monday that there was “no connection” between the two summits, saying the Russian leader’s trip was agreed in advance, several days after Putin and Xi spoke via video link in early February.
Advertisement
Such official assertions suggest a robust level of trust between Beijing and Moscow.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x