Putin and Xi Jinping promise a new era in international policy against the United States

China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Thursday promised a “new era” of cooperation between the United States’ two main rivals, whom they portrayed as an aggressive Cold War hegemon causing global chaos. In February 2022, China and Russia declared a “boundless” partnership when Putin visited Beijing shortly before sending troops to Ukraine, starting one of the deadliest land conflicts waged in Europe.

On Thursday, Xi Jinping and Putin signed a joint declaration on the “new era” that expressed opposition to the United States on security issues and presented a shared vision on Taiwan, Ukraine, North Korea, as well as cooperation in nuclear technology and finance. peaceful. Russia, at war with NATO-backed Ukrainian forces, and China, under pressure from the United States for its growing military and economic power, have found common geopolitical cause.

Xi welcomed Putin with a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, which included a 21-gun salute, People’s Liberation Army soldiers and children waving Chinese and Russian flags in Tiananmen Square.

What did the meeting consist of?

Xi told Putin they have the opportunity to drive changes not seen in a century, which many analysts interpret as a challenge to the US-led world order. Both governments, resentful of the 1991 Soviet fall and European colonial rule over China, have criticized the West as decadent, with China disputing American supremacy in various technologies and military capabilities.

However, China and Russia face their own challenges, such as the Chinese economic slowdown and a strengthened NATO following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Washington sees China as its biggest competitor and Russia as its biggest state threat, viewing its authoritarian leaders as restricting free speech and tightly controlling the media and courts. Biden called Xi a “dictator” and Putin a “murderer” and “crazy son,” which Beijing and Moscow criticized.

Putin, on his two-day visit, thanked China for its efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis and detailed his talks with Xi, describing them as “warm.” He mentioned cooperation in sectors such as nuclear energy, food and Chinese automobile manufacturing in Russia.

The United States’ position

Putin’s visit comes weeks after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to China to raise concerns about its military support for Russia. The trip does not appear to have affected the relationship between Xi and Putin. By choosing China for his first foreign trip after assuming a new mandate, Putin shows his priorities and his strong bond with Xi.

After severe Western sanctions for the war in Ukraine, Putin guided Russia towards China, its main buyer of crude oil. This closeness worries some in the Russian elite who fear overdependence on China. Xi stated that both sides support a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis, and the joint statement rejected a protracted conflict.