No limits? Why Vladimir Putin’s latest visit will test China-Russia ties
- Trip expected to be a show of the growing geostrategic alignment and ‘deep friendship’ between leaders
- But it could also reveal limits as Beijing tries to keep Moscow close while avoiding sanctions over Ukraine
With its full-scale invasion of Ukraine now in a third year, Russia – hit by sanctions and isolated by the West – has been edging closer to Beijing.
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As the US and its allies pile pressure on China over its alleged support for Russia’s defence industry, analysts say Putin will be keen to secure a commitment to the nations’ “no limits” partnership during his visit.
“For Putin, the visit is important to emphasise that the strategic partnership with China remains strong, at a time when his own personal travel is restricted and his country is isolated internationally and economically,” said Elizabeth Wishnick, an expert on China-Russia ties and senior research scientist at the Centre for Naval Analyses, a US think tank.
But for Beijing, while the quasi-alliance with Moscow has become a countervailing force against Washington and its allies, it still needs to balance ties between Russia and the US to avoid confrontation with the West amid threats of fresh American sanctions over Ukraine.
That is why Putin’s latest China visit is of unusual significance, according to Artyom Lukin, an associate professor at Russia’s Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. He added that the outcome could “define the further direction of Sino-Russian ties for the foreseeable future”.
He said the US demand that China curb deliveries of dual-use goods to Russia was a test of Beijing’s claim to be neutral on the conflict in Ukraine.