Ahead of Xi's visit to Moscow, Putin woos Chinese President; touts Sino-Russian chronicle

China's President Xi Jinping is all set to fly out to Russia this week, preferably from Monday to Wednesday, to meet his counterpart Russian President Vladimir Putin. This high-stakes meeting comes at a crucial time for both the countries as Moscow looks south for foreign support in its invasion of Ukraine, and Beijing looks for allies amid a strengthening multinational alliance looking to counter Chinese prowess in the Indo-Pacific region. Notably, this will be Xi's first visit to Moscow since the Kremlin's "special military operation" commenced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

With Russia and China's "no-limits friendship" which the nations declared before the war in Ukraine, speculations have risen that Putin will urge China to support Moscow's stance on the Ukraine conflict in a more defined manner albeit Beijing has given no details what Xi has hoped to accomplish in his talks with Putin. On the other side, Putin, in an effort to woo Xi, has written an article for the Beijing-based People's Daily newspaper titled 'Russia and China: A Future-Bound Partnership'.

"We have high expectations for the upcoming talks. We have no doubt that they will give a new powerful impetus to our bilateral cooperation in its entirety. This is also a great opportunity for me to meet with my good old friend with whom we enjoy the warmest relationship," Putin wrote in the article. 

Putin's 'love letter' to Xi-led China

Putin, in the article went on to reminisce about his meetings with "Comrade Xi Jinping" in March 2010 when Xi visited Moscow as head of a Chinese delegation, highlighting that he "really liked this style of communication" which was "very business-like and at the same time sincere and friendly atmosphere."

(Image: AP)

Manifesting that the people of Russia and China had a lot in common, the Russian head of state went on to quote Chinese philosopher Confucius saying, "It is no coincidence that Confucius the Sage said: “Isn’t it a joy when a friend comes from afar!” In Russia we share this value and hold real friends for brothers. Our two peoples have very much in common here."

Continuing to reminisce, Putin looked back on Xi Jinping's first state visit to Russia as the President of the People's Republic of China (PRC), saying that the visit set the tone for Russia-China relations. "Since then, a decade has passed, which is but a fleeting moment in the history of our countries sharing a centuries-old tradition of good neighbourliness and cooperation," expressed Putin. 

The Russian President went on to write that the world had changed since his first meeting with Xi, "often not for the better", but  "the main thing has remained unchanged: I am talking of the firm friendship between Russia and China". Underlining the development of bilateral ties as "impressive", Putin claimed that Russia-China relations had surpassed "Cold War-time military-political alliances in their quality, with no one to constantly order and no one to constantly obey, without limitations or taboos."

The two heads of state have met about 40 times in official formats and informally since their first meeting, with Putin claiming that the duo had reached "an unprecedented level of trust in our political dialogue, our strategic cooperation has become truly comprehensive in nature and is standing on the brink of a new era." 

Russia-China trade has grown exponentially since 2022

Against the backdrop of Russia's conflict with Ukraine and the countless sanctions imposed on Moscow by the United States-led western bloc, Russia turned towards nations like India and China that largely maintained their neutrality and continued to make crucial purchases of crude petroleum despite western criticism.

According to Chinese customs data released in January 2023, the bilateral trade between China and Russia in 2022 increased by 34.3 percent year-on-year to reach a new high of 1.28 trillion yuan ($190 billion) when denominated in yuan. The growth rate has been attributed to stronger relations between the two countries, an increase in energy trade, and the potential for more complementary trade ties. This is the first time that bilateral trade between the two nations has surpassed 1 trillion yuan. 

The data also showed that China's exports to Russia rose by 17.5 percent year-on-year, while imports from Russia increased by 48.6 percent year-on-year. The growth rate of bilateral trade accelerated from the 26.6 percent increase in 2021 and was significantly higher than the 7.7 percent expansion rate for China's overall foreign trade in the same period.

Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted this feat as "a new record" and wrote that the $200 billion target Xi Jinping and he set would be exceeded "as early as this year instead of 2024." Touting the 'Power of Siberia' Russian-Chinese gas pipeline as the "deal of the century," Putin wrote that China and Russia were cooperating in numerous fields from nuclear power & agriculture to outer space & technology. 

The 'Power of Siberia' pipeline is operated by Gazprom and is located in Eastern Siberia. Its primary function is to transport natural gas from Yakutia to Primorsky Krai and China, making it a vital component of the eastern gas route between Siberia and China. The pipeline was filled with gas in October 2019 and deliveries to China commenced subsequently in December that year.

Underscoring multilateral structures like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa), Putin said that China and Russia were "literally and figuratively building bridges". "The work aimed at coordinating the development of the Eurasian Economic Union with the One Belt, One Road Initiative also goes in this vein," Putin added.

"Last year our border regions were connected by two new bridge crossings over the Amur river, which has been a "river of friendship" since time immemorial. Amidst the ”waves and winds“ that sweep the planet, we closely cooperate in international affairs and effectively coordinate our foreign policy positions, counter common threats, and respond to current challenges, standing shoulder to shoulder as a ”rock amid a fast flowing stream"."

Putin lambasts the "Collective West", accuses them of serving only the "golden billion"

Putin emphasised the need for a just multipolar world order based on international law rather than serving the interests of a select few. He wrote that the world order should be "based on international law rather than certain 'rules' serving the needs of the 'golden billion'. 

The theory of the "Golden Billion" suggests that a group of powerful and wealthy individuals are working together to accumulate riches for the world's wealthiest one billion people, while disregarding the well-being of the rest of humanity. This theory has gained popularity among the Russian-speaking population and is often considered a conspiracy theory.

He stated that Russia and China were working towards creating an equitable, open, and inclusive regional and global security system that was not against third countries. The "Collective West" was continuing to hold onto outdated beliefs, and their policy of deterring Russia and China was becoming more aggressive, dismantling the international security and cooperation architecture, claimed Putin.

Meanwhile, Putin also expressed his appreciation on China's balanced stance on the Ukraine crisis and commitment to the United Nations Charter and international law. He went on to reiterate that Russia was open to a political and diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine crisis, but the ultimatums placed on Russia showed a lack of interest in finding a solution. He claimed that the West desired to retain its international dominance and preserve the unipolar world order.

"Russia-China relations serve as the cornerstone of regional and global stability, driving the economic growth and securing the positive agenda in international affairs. They provide an example of harmonious and constructive cooperation between major powers."

Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded the article writing that he was convinced that his friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping would only "further grow and gain strength for the well-being and prosperity of Russia and China". The two heads of state are scheduled to hold talks on March 21 with Xi landing in Moscow on Monday.