While the outcomes and purposes of these talks remain unclear, the topic of Ukraine was a topic of international focus as Putin welcomed China’s proposals for a political settlement with Ukraine, noting they were ready for peace talks. “We will discuss all those issues, including your initiative that we highly respect,” Putin said. “Our cooperation in the international arena undoubtedly helps strengthen the basic principles of the global order and multipolarity.” Such a stance by China continues to match their attempts to become a neutral peace arbiter, underscoring their work towards normalizing relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Despite the focus on Ukraine, it is important to note that President Xi’s China First policy has largely caused a refrain from distributing weapons to Russia over fears of becoming isolated from key European markets (nevertheless the US administration confirmed usage of Chinese ammunition by the Russian forces in Ukraine).
These restraints, however, have allowed Russia to become increasingly reliant on the Chinese economy, providing a unique opportunity to further spread China’s geopolitical influence to Russia. Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, noted that Beijing is certainly interested in “getting Russia as a junior partner deeper into China’s pocket.”
As China seeks to expand its global power, Russia has provided itself as a source of cheap gas and oil for the energy-hungry economy of China, as well as, a strong partner in opposing American domination in global affairs. This increase in gas purchases comes as China hopes to reduce the strain of Western sanctions against Russia. Though, China has largely avoided crossing any red lines in hopes of maintaining economic and political ties with Washington and Europe.
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