WASHINGTON — The trip of the Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia is a symbolic gesture to his increasingly isolated Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. It also highlights Xi’s determination to challenge U.S. power around the world, according to experts and former U.S officials.
The two leaders called each other “dear friends” and held informal talks in Moscow for nearly four hours Monday. Tass, Russia’s state news agency, reported that talks between their full delegations are scheduled for Tuesday. After greeting Xi at the Kremlin’s entrance, Putin stated that he had carefully studied China’s proposal to end the conflict in Ukraine. China has attempted to present itself as a peacemaker by making televised comments.
The three-day visit to China shows how Xi, unlike predecessors, is determined to be a world-shaping leader, and his country as a counterweight against America’s long-standing global dominance.
Brian Hart, a fellow at the China Power Project at The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, said that Xi Jinping wanted to demonstrate that he was a statesman and that China wants to “play a constructive role.”
Washington has criticized Xi’s visit as providing Putin “diplomatic coverage” after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant last Wednesday for the Russian leader. The warrant was for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children . His government refutes this accusation. Beijing claims the court uses “double standards.”
The White House urged Xi that he use his visit to pressure Putin to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and pull out his troops. Officials said that they were worried that Xi would not call for a ceasefire that preserves Russia’s territorial gains. This is part of a 12-point offer from Beijing, which contains very few details and has been met with skepticism by the U.S.A. and its allies.
Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, stated that any peace plan which does not include the withdrawal of Russian troops on Ukrainian territory is “a stalling tactic at worst.”
He said Monday that the world shouldn’t be fooled by Russia’s tactical moves, which were supported by China and other countries, to stop wars on their own terms.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized China’s Ukraine peace plan as a “stalling tactic.”
Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
Tuesday’s counter-reply from the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the United States is not in a position to accuse China.
China accuses the United States of inflaming the conflict by arming Ukraine against Russian invading troops. The announcement on Monday, which included an additional $350million in ammunition and other military assistance for Ukraine, was made by the United States. It refutes the U.S. claims that it is considering providing Russia lethal military aid.
However, Xi’s highly publicized Russia trip, his first since last year’s invasion of Ukraine, highlights Beijing’s growing ties to Moscow and the increasing tensions with the United States.
Bonnie Glaser, the managing director of the Indo-Pacific program, at the German Marshall Fund (a think tank based out of Washington), said that “they share a deep, abiding interest in undermining U.S. power around the world.”
Xi and Putin have been in touch about 40 times since 2010. They both deny what they consider attempts by the United States, its allies, to impose their liberal democracy model on the rest the world. Instead, they have tried to present their case to countries that are not part of America’s alliance network, Glaser stated.
In an unusually sharp speech, Xi this month singled out the U.S. and accused Washington of trying stop China’s growth.
He said that “Western countries, led by the U.S., have implemented all-round confinement, encirclement, and suppression against us,” which has created unprecedented challenges for our country’s growth.
After China’s surprise diplomatic success in the Middle East (a region once dominated US), Xi flew from China to Russia to broker an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran , to restore diplomatic ties after seven years.
China’s economy is facing a serious slowdown following the ending of the government’s strict “zero Covid” policies. Xi, who just won an unprecedented third term in office as president, is eager to show his global leadership, according to Victor Cha. Cha was the White House National Security Council’s Asia policy director from 2004 to 2007, and currently serves as the Defense Policy Board’s advisor to the secretary of defense.
Cha, now a Georgetown University professor, said that he has many problems at home and is looking for ways to justify his third term. He claimed that China plays a big role in the global arena now and provided a counternarrative of what he believes to be the West’s narrative on the liberal democratic order.
U.S. and E.U. sanctions have cut Russia off from Western energy markets. China bought Russia’s oil and gas, and sold semiconductors to support its war machine.
According to customs, China spent $81.3B on Russian oil, coal, and natural gas imports in 2022. This is an increase of $52.1B in 2021. Russia is no longer able sell its oil and gas to Europe. Instead, it has exported its excess energy at a steep discount both to China and other countries. This saves them billions of dollars.
Xi published a commentary in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper, on the eve his trip. He praised increased trade between China, Russia, and stated that his trip to Moscow would be a “journey of friendship, cooperation, and peace.”
In a subtle jab at America, Xi said: “No model for governance is universal, no one country should dictate international order.”
According to U.S intelligence officials, China and Russia have conducted joint military exercises and held naval drills in the Gulf of Oman with Iran, but Beijing has so far resisted arming Russian forces fighting war in Ukraine.
The United States and European governments warned China not to supply weapons or ammunition to Russian forces.
Experts said that Russia’s arming would lead to a wave U.S. sanctions and Europe-wide sanctions, and could derail Xi’s economic goals.
Cha stated that Putin will not be allowed to fail but that there is a limit to his willingness to sacrifice for him to see Putin succeed.
Experts said that while China might not be ready for direct military support to Russia and may not want to get involved in the conflict, there are some advantages to Beijing from the current situation.
China can still rely on Russia’s cheap oil and gas, as long as Russia does not lose. The U.S. and its allies must pay billions of dollars to keep Ukraine’s military armed. Experts say that as the war drags on, transatlantic unity could begin to break down. China may try to play a part in diplomatic negotiations by exploiting NATO divisions.
Cha stated that China could prolong the conflict by supporting Russia and keeping its economy afloat.
He stated, “That’s bad for the U.S.A and the West because it means that the war will continue and that’s a negative outcome for anyone.”
