Putin’s China Tour Confirms New Quality of the World Politics

Putin's Beijing visit showcased China's rising sway, with Xi the gracious but reserved host to an isolated Putin desperately seeking economic lifelines amid Russia's costly Ukraine war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China, together with President Xi, allowed the two heads of state to show their solidarity and unity, but it also revealed the weakened status of Russia, caused by the expensive war in Ukraine, and as a result, China stepped up to become the senior partner in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

The carefully staged photos of Xi Jinping showing Putin the red carpet treatment in Beijing represented a united front against the West's intervention. Nonetheless, it is also pointed out that the relationship between the two has altered as it is now China which is now at the advantage since the conflict in Ukraine broke out almost a year ago.

"This is not a partnership any longer, between two equal partners," Laura Bicker, a China correspondent for BBC, said. Xi was more restrained in what he said about Putin, naming him as a “good friend and neighbor” without similar expressions as Putin did, where he referred to Xi as his “brother”.

The lopsided greetings are an indication of how the war has made Russia lose all the soldiers, the economy, and everything necessary to fight the Western sanctions, and only after that can the Chinese economic cooperation help in blunting the sanctions. Russia is trying to make sure a powerful delegation including the Russian central bank chief works on trading agreements.

In contrast to the tactic of Xi to walk between the fine lines of keeping interstate contacts with the isolated Putin and the economic ties of China with the West. Beijing has placed itself as a potential independent power position in the Ukraine crisis.

"Therefore, Xi is in a situation of balancing fine - he needs to cooperate with Putin, while at the same time knowing that close relations with the pariah could be a negative factor in preserving his stable connections with the West which he needs to help his stagnant economy,” Bicker wrote.

Also Read: China is on a tightrope as Putin is looking for a deeper alliance regarding the Ukraine War

Putin's decision to visit the Vostok military exercise demonstrated his readiness to make concessions, despite his efforts to impress the world with Russia's military potential alongside the rising Chinese superpower. Though the two pretend to be in harmony on the surface, market players claim Xi’s share of the power has definitively surpassed that of Trump.