Putin to visit China on May 16 and 17 in first foreign trip since re-election

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China from May 16 to 17, his first foreign trip since his inauguration for his fifth term as president, the Kremlin said on May 14.

“At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China on May 16-17 as his first foreign trip after taking office,” the Kremlin said.

Mr Putin and Mr Xi “will discuss in detail the entire range of issues of the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, identify key areas for further development of Russian-Chinese practical cooperation, and exchange views in detail on the most pressing international and regional issues”.

They will also sign a joint declaration following the talks, the Kremlin said, and attend an evening marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Mr Putin will also meet Premier Li Qiang – China’s No. 2 official – and travel to the north-eastern city of Harbin for a trade and investment expo, the statement added.

Analysts say Russia

is increasingly dependent on China

as a crucial economic lifeline since the West hit it with unprecedented sanctions over its military offensive in Ukraine.

Beijing has rebuffed Western criticism over its ties with Moscow, hailing its “no limits” partnership as it enjoys cheap Russian energy imports and access to vast natural resources, including steady gas shipments via the Power of Siberia pipeline.

But as that economic partnership comes under close scrutiny in the West, Chinese banks fearing US sanctions that might cut them off from the global financial system have begun turning the screws on Russian businesses.

‘No limits’

“The Russians want China to do more to support it, which China is reluctant to do because it doesn’t want to jeopardise its relationship with the West,” Mr Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre, told Agence France-Presse.

Trade between China and Russia has boomed since the Ukraine invasion – which Beijing has never condemned – and hit US$240 billion (S$325 billion) in 2023, according to Chinese customs figures.

But after Washington vowed to go after financial institutions that facilitate Moscow, Chinese exports to Russia dipped during March and April, down from a surge early in the year.

That comes as Beijing faces growing calls to decouple from Russia – or suffer consequences its struggling economy is ill-equipped to handle.

“Chinese banks are concerned about reputational costs as they seek to forestall major sanctions,” Dr Elizabeth Wishnick, a senior research scientist at the naval analysis centre CNA, said.

“Certainly, major Chinese banks would want to avoid that scenario given current economic difficulties domestically.”

Mr Putin’s post-election trip to Beijing echoes Mr Xi’s own to Russia after his re-anointing as leader in 2023.

Experts expect this week’s highly symbolic meeting to result in toasts to the “no limits” partnership, as well as some deals signed and pledges to increase trade.

The Russian leader knows full well that Beijing remains determined to back Moscow – seen by Chinese policymakers as a crucial bulwark against the West and a critical ally in its fight against a US-led world order, analysts said.

“The Russians are not overly emotional and naive,” Carnegie’s Mr Gabuev said. “They understand how important ties with the West are for China.

“They know for sure that China will not drop them, throw them under the bus.” REUTERS, AFP