Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday welcomed his “dear friend” Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing, starting off a multilateral summit overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war.
Beijing this week hosts representatives of 130 countries for a forum on Xi’s vast trade and infrastructure project — the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
At the top of the guest list is Putin, who is on his first trip to a major global power since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine threw his regime into international isolation.
Photo: EPA-EFE / Sergei Savostyanov / Sputnik / Kremlin Pool
The two leaders met last night at an event commencing the forum, video posted by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.
They then took part in a group photo with other leaders attending the summit.
Putin is due to hold in-depth talks with Xi on the sidelines of the forum today, the Kremlin said, with the war raging between Israel and Palestinian militant organization Hamas looming large over the summit.
“During the talks, special attention will be paid to international and regional issues,” the Kremlin said in a statement, without elaborating.
Western countries, led by the US, have rallied to Israel’s side since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, shooting, stabbing and burning to death more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
The US has asked China to use its influence to help de-escalate the war, which has seen more than 1 million people in the blockaded Gaza Strip flee the relentless bombardment that Israel launched in retaliation for the attack.
China brokered an entente between key Hamas backer Iran and its regional foe Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and is to send its Middle East envoy Zhai Jun (翟雋) to the volatile region this week.
No details have been given about where or when exactly Zhai would travel, although China Central Television has said he would push for a ceasefire and peace talks.
Russia, which has traditionally maintained good relations with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, has called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the conflict.
In Beijing, Putin is on a mission to strengthen the already strong bond with his communist neighbor. China is Russia’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching a record US$190 billion last year, Beijing customs data showed.
However, while the BRI forum provides a fresh opportunity for Putin and Xi to showcase their alliance, experts do not expect any new major agreements to be announced.
“Russia is aware that China doesn’t want to sign any high publicity deals,” Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center director Alexander Gabuev said.
“China holds all of the cards,” he said.
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