Vladimir Putin visits China
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China today to meet President Xi Jinping.
This will be Putin’s 19th visit, his 41st meeting with Xi and the first since being re-elected to an unprecedented fifth term as president. Putin will meet Xi in Beijing and is expected to head to Harbin, which has strong economic ties to Russia, for a trade exhibition.
This visit comes at a time of immense economic pressure from the US and EU on China over its support for Russia in its Ukraine war. The leaders are also expected to discuss the war in the Middle East and its impact on global energy markets. China has become increasingly reliant on Moscow’s vast resources, with oil imports jumping 23% in 2023.
Expect this visit to heavily focus on the financial implications of Chinese support for Russia’s military industrial complex. The US has made clear full scale sanctions will be inflicted on Chinese banks should they assist Russia. Furthermore, Xi and Putin will look to strengthen their energy cooperation amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the war in Gaza. The West will be closely watching the outcomes of this meeting, and so will Sino-Russian allies such as Iran and North Korea.