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The Russian leader went to the summit weakened and needs concessions
When Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week in front of smiling children near the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, in a scene very similar to that of Donald Trump just a few days earlier, both leaders appeared smiling.
But in reality, Russia enters this summit with a major international leader in the weakest position he has been in for a long time. Putin's visit is officially designed to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries.
But he has come to Beijing hoping for concessions from his host on a range of issues. Any deal reached is likely to be on Chinese terms, Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre, a think tank, told the BBC. “Russia is completely in China’s pocket and China can dictate the terms,” he said.
What is Vladimir Putin's list of demands in Beijing?
Military components for the war against Ukraine
Officially, China says it is neutral in the bitter and protracted conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
But Chinese dual-use components, such as microelectronics and semiconductors, are essential to Russia's ability to produce precision missiles and drones that strike Ukrainian cities night after night.
The Economist magazine reports that China also supplies most of the commercial FPV drones and supporting technologies that Russia needs.
Another critical dependence on China, according to Western officials, is nitrocellulose, the cotton-based material used as a propellant for artillery shells, tank ammunition, and missiles.
The “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline
The proposed 2,600-kilometer pipeline would transport Russian gas from Western Siberia through Mongolia to China.
Russia needs this project to replace lost revenue after European countries significantly reduced imports of Russian gas following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Al Jazeera reports that construction of the pipeline has been long delayed and the two countries have yet to agree on many of the details.
The pipeline would also help China, as at the moment most of China's gas imports must be transported through strategically sensitive points, such as the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently blocked due to the conflict with Iran.
A diplomatic ally
Both China and Russia are hostile to the West, at a time when divisions within Western countries are widening. Trump is challenging Europe and NATO. Successive British governments are in a state of paralysis over how to handle Brexit.
China faces pressure from many countries, but it is doing everything it can to assert itself as the new number one power in the world. Russia's power has been somewhat damaged by the endless war in Ukraine, but the two countries continue to share a strong bond. Xi Jinping emphasized this during his reception for Putin in Beijing.
He said the two countries should focus on a long-term strategy and promote a "more just and rational" global governance system, according to a transcript from China's state-run Xinhua news agency.
"The reason why China-Russia relations have reached this level is because we have been able to deepen mutual political trust and strategic cooperation," Xi Jinping said. / Pamphlet /
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