Advertising
Supported by
Moscow is looking for more for its war in Ukraine, but Beijing risks distancing itself from Europe, a key trading partner needed to revive China’s economy.
By David Pierson and Paul Sonne
By the time China’s more sensible leader, Xi Jinping, hosts Russian President Vladimir V this week, Putin in China will have been more than two years since the two autocratic leaders declared an “unlimited” partnership to fight what they see as U. S. intimidation and interference.
The increasing demands of the West have the limits of this partnership.
Xi is walking a tightrope, under mounting diplomatic and economic pressure to reduce Chinese aid to Russia and its war in Ukraine. A closer adherence to Putin could further alienate Europe, a key trading partner, as Beijing looks to the West for its symbol and maintain access to Chinese exports to help revitalize its ailing economy.
“China sees Russia as a vital strategic partner and needs to give Putin the respect he deserves, but it also needs smart relations with Europe and the United States, for economic reasons and beyond. It’s a very complicated balancing act,” Shen Dingli said. , a foreign relations specialist based in Shanghai.
Putin, for his part, may limit himself to curbing Putin’s appetite for threat. Xi, while trying to dissuade Western countries from more actively supporting Ukraine. Last week, while Xi was in France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron, Xi was in France. Putin has ordered exercises in the use of tactical nuclear weapons. The move was seen as the particular maximum precaution so far that Russia could use nuclear weapons on the battlefield of this war, against which Mr. Xi has drawn a particular line.
The Russian leader is also likely to pressure Xi to give more to his country’s isolated economy and the war system in Ukraine.
We are retrieving the content of the article.
Please allow javascript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience as we determine access. If you’re in player mode, log out and log in to your Times account or subscribe to the full Times.
Thank you for your patience as we determine access.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Want all the Times? Subscribe.
Advertising