Will Xi Jinping’s Gamble on Vladimir Putin Pay Off?
As Xi and his Russian counterpart meet, both are facing calls to do more to ease tension in the Middle East, amid fresh scrutiny of a relationship that looks increasingly one-sided.
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow, in March.
Photographer: Pavel Byrkin/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images
The last time Vladimir Putin set foot on Chinese soil he went home with the promise of a “no limits” partnership from President Xi Jinping. Less than a month later he launched the invasion of Ukraine. He returned to Beijing on Tuesday in a diminished state, needing the economic support of China and a route out of his self-inflicted political isolation.
The meeting between the two presidents will inevitably be overshadowed by Israel's conflict with the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged China at the weekend to use its friendly ties with Iran — which supports Hamas — and broader influence in the Middle East to prevent the conflict from escalating. The pressure on Xi, and indirectly Putin, who is also close to Tehran, to act over the crisis is likely to intensify.