‘Together against the West!’ This was the signal that the two-day visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to China was intended to send. China can undoubtedly benefit from the current geopolitical situation. But Russia expected more from “borderless friendship”.
Lavrov has been in Beijing since Monday. The list of topics for discussion included the situation in the Asia-Pacific region and the cooperation of both countries in international organizations such as the UN, BRICS and G20, as Moscow announced before the start of the trip. And it is about preparations for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, probably in mid-May.
For Putin, a visit to China as his first travel destination after his re-election in mid-March would be a clear sign of the close cooperation between the two states. Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions have noticeably isolated the country internationally. “From the Russian perspective, they want to show that they have a strong ally in Beijing. China may want to show that it has not given up on its efforts as a ‘neutral conflict resolver’. The visit can therefore also serve to attract a domestic audience and to portray the event as a force for peace,” says Johann Fuhrmann of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Beijing.
The conflicts between the West on the one hand and China and Russia on the other have been increasing for years. The US accuses China of unfair trade practices, among other things, and has imposed high import tariffs and restricted the export of high technology to the People’s Republic. Europe is also considering sanctions against the import of Chinese electric cars due to state subsidies. In the Pacific, China and the US are competing for spheres of influence. According to media reports, the US is therefore looking to expand AUKUS’s military alliance with Australia and Britain. Russia, in turn, accuses the NATO military alliance of moving its sphere of influence further to the east and thereby justifying, among other things, the attack on Ukraine.
After German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s last visit in November 2022, China made it very clear “that it rejects the use of nuclear weapons,” Fuhrmann said. If Russia were to attack NATO, it is unthinkable that China would stick with Putin. “China has repeatedly stated that it does not want to supply weapons. “Putin might have hoped for more of the ‘boundless friendship’ that was assured before the war,” the expert explains. Conversely, an unstable or Western-oriented Russia in a post-Putin era would be “a geopolitical horror scenario for Beijing.”
Nevertheless, Beijing can deal with the current situation pragmatically. Cheap energy is obtained from Russia and the country has also become an export market.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
