Editorial | China needs to balance strong Russia ties with other relationships
- Putin’s re-election is positive for the increasingly close alliance with Beijing, but China’s diplomatic efforts require striking a fine balance ahead of Xi’s proposed trip to Europe
Vladimir Putin’s election to a fifth six-year term as president of Russia was a formality, since he no longer has any credible rivals. That is not to discount the scale of his landslide victory with nearly 88 per cent of the popular vote. It tightened his grip on power and confounded any illusions to the contrary still harboured in the West.
Domestically, the decisive outcome shows Putin’s support has not been weakened by the economic challenges posed by the Ukraine war effort following the invasion more than two years ago.
Externally, it is positive for Russia’s increasingly close alliance with China. Congratulating Putin on his victory, President Xi Jinping promised to further strengthen a partnership likely to deepen amid tension with the West.
He said China attached great importance to the development of bilateral relations and was willing to maintain close communication. In fact, Xi and Putin have met 42 times since Xi came to power in 2012 and they are expected to meet several times this year.
In his victory speech, Putin acknowledged his “good personal relations” with Xi and said the bilateral relationship was a “factor of stability” in international relations.
The reality is that Russia and China need each other for various reasons, amid geopolitical tension and uncertainty. Not least among them for China are new business opportunities while facing trade and technological barriers in the West, one example being electric vehicle exports.