Following the affirmation of a “new era” of strategic partnership with China’s Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to underscore the increasing significance of trade near the Russian border in northeastern China.
Concluding his two-day, high-profile visit to China, Putin will be in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, a region with longstanding trade and cultural connections to Russia. There, he will participate in a Russian-China Expo and a forum on interregional cooperation.
Amidst Russia’s political isolation and Western sanctions stemming from its invasion of Ukraine, Putin is turning more towards China to bolster its economy during wartime.
During the elaborate state visit, Putin and Xi signed a joint statement emphasizing their strengthened partnership across various security and economic domains, offering a unified stance against the U.S.
“The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it,” Xi conveyed to Putin, expressing China’s willingness to collaborate for mutual development and global justice.
The joint statement elaborates on the “no limits” partnership declared in February 2022, just before Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
China’s support for Russia’s war effort includes provision of technology such as drones and missiles, though China denies supplying weaponry.
Russia’s growing isolation has driven increased trade with China, reaching a record $240.1 billion last year, with Russia surpassing Saudi Arabia as China’s primary crude oil supplier despite Western sanctions.
China’s state-controlled Global Times emphasized the significance of expanding trade ties to the broader bilateral relationship, highlighting the resilience of the China-Russia partnership in the face of challenges.
Accompanied by a sizable trade delegation, including key figures like Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Putin is bolstering economic ties with China. Notable members of the delegation include CEOs of major Russian banks, billionaire Oleg Deripaska, Rosneft chief Igor Sechin, and Novatek’s Leonid Mikhelson. Further travel plans for Putin in Asia remain undisclosed at this time.
