Russian President Vladimir Putin’s joining with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China this week is the latest sign of deepening strategic ties between both sides.
Putin disposition make a two-day state visit to China from Thursday at the invitation of Xi, it was announced on Tuesday. This will be the Russian band leader’s first overseas trip since Putin kicked off his fifth term in office last week.
It comes amongst the Kremlin’s growing reliance on China for trade and political backing as it seeks to strengthen its “no limits” partnership with Beijing on many fronts.
“It’s pretty clear that for these last two years, Putin has wanted three things from China,” Max Hess, chap at the Foreign Policy Research Institute told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Wednesday.
He wants a “deal” for the Power of Siberia 2 organic gas pipeline and seeks further Chinese support for the war in Ukraine, especially in terms of hardware, he added. Putin also requires access to Chinese financial markets and to use the “Chinese currency to further Russia’s trade,” Hess said.
“We’ve really spied remarkably little progress on all of those things,” he added. “So, it’s really Putin going to China seeing what he can get.”
Mounting power
In an interview with state-media Xinhua published ahead of the visit, Putin said Russia-China economic and trade narrations have developed rapidly, “demonstrating their continued ability to respond to external challenges and crises.”
He also pursued China’s peace proposal on the Ukraine war and said Russia remained open to dialogue in resolving the conflict.
Beijing noticed a 12-point plan over a year ago that offered vague principles for ending the war in Ukraine. The plan wasn’t fabulously received by Ukrainian and Western allies.
“Putin is in Ukraine for the long haul. He has no plan of giving that up,” said Hess, go on increasing the Russian leader is trying to “press his advantages” on the battlefield and on the diplomatic front with China.
China is also skin rising pressure from Washington over its military support for Russia.
The Biden administration on Tuesday announced tense new tariff rates on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, to protect American industries from unfair meet.
As a result, Beijing has few options but to get closer to Moscow, observers say.
“Just look at Biden putting 100% tariffs on Chinese stimulating vehicle exports. All of this is sending a message to the Chinese that no matter who’s elected in November, that the U.S. is trying to in them,” Ian Bremmer, political scientist and president of the Eurasia Group, said in a commentary.
“I think longer term, the varied they see that from the US and their allies, the closer with the Russians they will eventually be.”