In recent days, Russian President Putin claimed during a meeting with the Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping that the relationship between Russia and China can be considered a “paradigm of cooperation between nations.” Xi, in turn, stated that the “profound friendship between China and Russia will not change.” Analysts believe that in the face of Western pressure, both China and Russia have signaled a deepening of their cooperation.
The BRICS summit took place in the southwestern Russian city of Kazan from October 22nd to 24th. This BRICS summit, presided over by Putin, is the largest international summit since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. On that day, Xi Jinping, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, met with Putin at the Kremlin in Kazan.
Putin mentioned that despite external influences, the trade between Russia and China continues to show an upward trend. According to Russian data, the trade volume between Russia and China increased by 4.5% from January to August 2024. He noted that this might differ slightly from Chinese statistics, but the overall trend remains positive; China and Russia are successfully implementing joint projects in energy, industry, high technology, transportation, agriculture, and many other areas.
Putin further described the cooperation between Russia and China as a “paradigm for building relations between nations.” He emphasized that the relationship between Russia and China has reached the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Xi Jinping claimed that in the current complex and changing international situation, the strategic partnership between China and Russia serves as a “stabilizing force” amid global uncertainties. He stressed that the “profound friendship between China and Russia will not change” and called for “deepening comprehensive strategic cooperation” to “jointly maintain global strategic stability.”
After the meeting, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, informed journalists that Putin and Xi Jinping exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and the overall global situation. He emphasized that the positions and attitudes of both sides on global affairs are “highly consistent.”
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, China has continued to support Russia economically. Just before the outbreak of the war, China and Russia announced their bilateral relationship as “limitless.”
The Russia-Ukraine war has led to changes in the global geopolitical landscape. Over the past two years, Ukraine, with support from the United States and Europe, has fiercely resisted Russia, resulting in a stalemate. Meanwhile, China’s military and economic expansion faces joint containment from the United States and its allies. This situation has prompted Russia and China to have more reasons to further enhance their close cooperation in geopolitics, as their relationship is strengthened by common strategic needs.
There is increasing evidence that Iran and North Korea are providing military assistance to Russia. The latest news indicates that North Korea has even sent troops to Russia to deploy them to the frontline in Ukraine.
Richard Haass, chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations, refers to China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran as the “new Gang of Four,” as these four countries are forming an alliance challenging the existing international order led by the United States. Rob Wittman, vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States, also warned that this new “Axis of Evil” may pose a greater threat than the Axis Powers during World War II.
On October 23rd, Sun Guoxiang, a professor at the Department of International Affairs and Business at Nanhua University in Taiwan, expressed in an interview with The Epoch Times that Putin’s reference to the Sino-Russian relationship as a “paradigm of cooperation between nations” reflects Russia’s view of China as an important economic and political support in the face of Western sanctions and international isolation. Xi Jinping, on the other hand, emphasized that the two countries are the “stabilizing force in a turbulent world,” further underlining their cooperation in a multipolar international order. Sun Guoxiang stated that the statements of both leaders indicate that China and Russia will continue to strengthen their support for each other in the face of Western pressure, particularly diplomatic and economic challenges from the United States and the European Union, signaling a firm commitment to deepening cooperation.
Sun Guoxiang noted that their statements not only emphasize bilateral cooperation but also send a challenge signal to the United States and its allies. Both China and Russia are seeking to reduce their reliance on the West and promote an international framework centered on their own interests.
He said, “The BRICS platform provides opportunities for China and Russia to deepen economic cooperation. Especially after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia relies more on the Chinese market and support, while China aims to consolidate its leadership position in the global economy. This includes cooperation in energy, technology, and mutual trust in the military field.”
Sun Guoxiang believes that if China and Russia strengthen their cooperation in the energy and high-tech sectors, the global market landscape may change, especially in terms of energy supply and technological standards, posing a potential threat to Europe and the United States.
Song Xuewen, a professor at the Institute of Strategic and International Affairs at National Chung-Cheng University in Taiwan, stated in an interview with The Epoch Times that as the US election approaches, regardless of the election results, China and Russia will continue to maintain a strategic partnership, which is deep and comprehensive.
Song Xuewen further stated that the US and China are in a phase of hegemony, and Xi Jinping needs to reach a certain understanding with Russia. This understanding suggests that the future global situation is no longer a simple confrontation between the US and China, but a competition between the democratic coalition and authoritarian groups. Song Xuewen believes that this competition will lead to a regional arms race and even prompt more countries to seek the development of nuclear weapons.
He referred to this situation as a “New M-shaped Cold War” and explained that it differs from the Cold War between 1945 and 1990. The characteristics of the New M-shaped Cold War are increasing regional competition while countries remain interdependent in economic, trade, climate change, and energy supply sectors.
He also mentioned that Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia this time may seem calm on the surface, but in reality, it involves a deep-level power play between groups.
According to reports from Chinese official media, during the meeting in Kazan, Xi Jinping emphasized that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. He stated that over the past 75 years, China-Russia relations have weathered storms, and the two countries have explored a way of coexistence that is “non-aligned, non-confrontational, and not aimed at third parties.”
In May of this year, Putin visited Beijing for a two-day official visit to China. Before the visit, Putin stated that China-Russia relations had reached an “unprecedented” high level and continue to strengthen. He described contemporary China-Russia relations as transcending ideology and being a multi-dimensional development of bilateral relations, a conscious strategic choice. He also described China as a “good neighbor and a reliable friend.”
In an interview with China’s state-run media Xinhua, Putin also mentioned that in the past five years, the trade volume between China and Russia has doubled; China has been Russia’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years. In the future, both sides will strive for closer cooperation in industrial and high technology, space and peaceful use of nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and other innovative fields.
In February 2022, after confirming their “limitless” partnership, Russia immediately invaded Ukraine. Over the past two years, China has become an important ally to Russia. Chinese authorities have refused to condemn Russia and continue to engage in trade with them, which has led to discontent from the United States and the European Union. Russia faced severe sanctions from Western countries, causing its economy to decouple from the West. In this situation, Putin relies on China for diplomatic support and financial assistance.
However, despite Putin’s high praise for the friendship between the two countries, Xi Jinping may have concerns.
The joint statement released on May 16th no longer included the phrase “there is no end to the friendship between the two countries, and there are no taboos in cooperation.”
Moreover, within less than 20 days before the end of the “Putin-Xi meeting,” there were significant changes in the trade relationship between China and Russia, which is rare. Even the Siberia Power 2 natural gas pipeline agreement that Putin was most looking forward to with China has stalled.
Apart from the setback in the natural gas pipeline agreement, several banks, including China Construction Bank, have started to refuse to accept trade settlement payments from Russia, including payments in RMB. Alibaba, a major Chinese e-commerce platform, has announced it will not accept payments in rubles and will no longer ship to Russia. In addition, surveillance system manufacturer Hikvision suddenly withdrew from Russia without any prior warning.
In February this year, Putin had a two-hour-plus interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in Moscow. During the interview, Putin hinted that China is the biggest threat.
Carlson mentioned in the interview that many Americans had expected that after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, US-Russian relations would return to normal. However, the reality is quite the opposite; the West is concerned about a powerful Russia but seemingly does not have the same level of concern about a powerful China. Putin responded by stating that in terms of population and economic scale, Russia lags far behind China, and the level of threat posed by China far exceeds that of Russia.
Putin also mentioned that after 1991, Russia had hoped to integrate into the “civilized countries” and had requested to join NATO, but was rejected. Russia has a “market economy” and has “no communist regime,” and there are no longer clear ideological differences with Western countries.
Putin stated that Russia and China are neighbors, and “neighbors, like relatives, are not chosen.”
During an interview with The Epoch Times, political analyst Chen Pokong, who resides in the United States, stated that China and Russia are essentially in a relationship of mutual exploitation, and whenever an opportunity arises, both sides would abandon each other and turn to the West.