China's leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged "congratulatory letters" on Sunday ahead of the Russian president's visit to Beijing this week, just four days after Donald Trump left China following a high-stakes summit.
Deepening Bilateral Cooperation
Xi stated that bilateral cooperation between Russia and China had "continuously deepened and solidified," with this year marking the 30th anniversary of the two countries' strategic partnership, according to Chinese state media. Putin's visit to Beijing is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
An article published in the state media tabloid Global Times on Monday said the visits of the US and Russian presidents showed Beijing was "fast emerging as the focal point of global diplomacy." The article noted that it is extremely rare in the post-Cold War era for a country to host the leaders of the US and Russia back-to-back within a week.
Western Concerns Over China-Russia Ties
China's deepened relationship with Russia has been a cause for concern in the West, particularly since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. China's economic and diplomatic support for Russia since then has helped sustain the conflict, according to Western diplomats and analysts. The two leaders have met on more than 40 occasions, far outstripping Xi's encounters with Western leaders.
China-Russia bilateral trade has soared to record levels since 2022, with China purchasing more than one-quarter of Russia's exports. China's large purchases of Russian crude oil have supplied Moscow with hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue for the war in Ukraine. Beijing has bought more than $367 billion of Russian fossil fuels since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
These purchases have supported China's energy security, especially important since the crisis in the Middle East disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
US-China Talks Focus Elsewhere
Neither the war in Ukraine nor the Sino-Russian relationship appeared to feature heavily in Trump's talks with Xi last week. The Chinese statement about the main bilateral meeting made a brief reference to "the Ukraine crisis," while the US statement did not mention it at all. Instead, the US-China talks focused on trade, Taiwan, and the war in the Middle East, with Trump saying China agreed on the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Xi also pressed Trump on Taiwan, warning of potential conflict if the issue was not handled properly. Trump left Beijing saying he had not decided whether to approve a multi-billion dollar US weapons deal to Taiwan. Halting the sale would be a major win for Beijing, which seeks to take control of the self-governing island, something the majority of Taiwanese oppose.
Taiwan as Subtext for Xi-Putin Meeting
Joseph Webster, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said in a newsletter that "Taiwan may be the subtext of the Xi-Putin meeting." Webster suggested Beijing may seek to sign more fossil fuel deals with Moscow to ensure energy supplies in the event of a future conflict. Expanding Russian oil pipeline capacity to China "would significantly enhance Beijing's oil security in a Taiwan contingency," Webster wrote. Russia has been pushing China to move forward with the "Power of Siberia 2" gas pipeline, which would add 50 billion cubic metres of capacity to the existing network between the two countries.
