Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on a highly anticipated trip that aims to highlight the strong partnership and trust between the two countries amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This visit is only Putin’s second known trip abroad since an arrest warrant was issued for him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March. Putin and his entourage landed at Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday morning, where they were greeted by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.
This is also Putin’s first official trip outside of the former Soviet Union this year, following his visit to Kyrgyzstan earlier this month. It’s worth noting that neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are members of the ICC, which means they are not obligated to arrest Putin based on the court’s warrant.
Despite criticism from the West regarding their partnership with Moscow, China has dismissed these concerns and emphasized that their collaboration with Russia does not violate international norms. Beijing asserts that it has the right to cooperate with any country of its choosing.
During his visit, Putin will attend the official opening reception of the Third Belt and Road Forum, hosted by President Xi. He is also scheduled to have bilateral talks with the leaders of Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, and Laos.
The Belt and Road Forum focuses on Xi’s grand initiative, the Belt and Road project, which aims to create global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe. Putin has praised this initiative, describing it as a platform for international cooperation where no country imposes itself on others.
Economically, Russia has strengthened its energy ties with China since the start of the Ukrainian conflict. Currently, Russia exports around 2 million barrels of oil per day to China, accounting for over one-third of its total crude oil exports. Moscow also plans to build a second natural gas pipeline to China.
While representatives from Russia’s oil and gas giants, Rosneft and Gazprom, will accompany Putin on the trip, no new energy deals are expected to be signed during this visit. The Kremlin has clarified that this trip is not a full-fledged bilateral visit but rather a visit made in conjunction with an international conference.
The meeting between Putin and Xi comes at a crucial time when tensions between Russia and the West are high due to the conflict in Ukraine. The visit serves as a display of solidarity between Russia and China, highlighting their commitment to deepening their partnership despite international challenges.
Reporting by Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Christopher Cushing & Simon Cameron-Moore.