Putin’s Trade Pivot to China Isn’t All Smooth as Silk for Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss China’s plans for reviving the ancient Silk Road trade route to Europe during talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing this weekend. Russia’s finding its own road to better trade ties with its neighbor isn’t running entirely smoothly.

Joint projects are losing momentum and trade between the two countries is declining as Russia struggles with its longest recession in two decades. While Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov says “a solid package of agreements and commercial projects” will be signed during Putin’s visit, there won’t be anything approaching the huge energy deals of past meetings with Xi.