Good Articles to Share
Can friendship between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin really be pillar of China-Russia relations?
As Russia and China strengthened their cooperation in a number of areas this week, the ties between China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may have become a pillar of the relationship between what the US calls its “two major rivals”.
On the second day of Xi’s three-day state visit to Russia on Thursday, the leaders shared a cruise along the Neva River to St Petersburg, where Putin was born in 1952.
“I’m honoured to visit the hometown of President Putin,” Xi said, as quoted by China’s state-run news agency Xinhua on Thursday. “The fertile land here has bred a number of great people. It is the pride of Russia and its people.”
That day, Xi was awarded an honorary doctorate from St Petersburg State University, Putin’s alma mater. Putin, who in April received an honorary doctoral degree from Tsinghua University – where Xi studied chemical engineering – described the Chinese president as “an expert and an academic” for his leading role in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Xi is no stranger to such exchanges at diplomatic venues, as in 2014 when he attended Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday dinner and sent a telegram marking the birthday of Zimbabwe’s former dictator, Robert Mugabe.
This personal interaction, however, does not always translate into closer partnerships at state level.
Modi was the only leader to openly snub an invitation from Beijing to attend the 2017 Belt and Road Initiative Summit and he remains sceptical about Xi’s signature diplomatic project.
Mugabe, who described Xi as “a true friend”, was forced to resign after a coup in 2017, soon after the country’s military chief rounded off a visit to Beijing.
Xi has been cautious about openly referring to such personal ties, but Putin seems to be the exception.
While US Donald President Trump repeatedly called Xi “a great friend”, Xi himself – or the Chinese side – has never reciprocated. Nor did Beijing officially respond to Trump’s later remark that Xi “may not be a friend of mine any more”.
Trump has claimed he enjoyed a strong rapport with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, despite walking away from negotiations with the supreme leader in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February.
“Trump spoke of great ties with Xi mostly to constrain the Chinese side,” said Zhang Lifan, a Beijing-based political commentator. “But the Chinese side is more serious about Xi’s ties with Putin, although it was also a protest against Trump.
“Xi appreciates Putin’s character as a political strongman, and needs the help of Russia in facing off against the US.
“But power relations built on personal ties don’t seem to sustain well,” Zhang added.
The extent of their friendship was clear from the start of Xi’s trip this week, when the Chinese leader called Putin his “best friend” before departing for Moscow.
“We have communicated extensively on the broadest range of issues, including international situations, bilateral ties and domestic governance,” Xi told Russian media. “We have also talked about literature, art and sport … President Putin is the foreign colleague that I have interacted with most extensively. He is my best friend, and I greatly treasure our friendship.”
The men watched ice hockey matches together, and celebrated Putin’s birthday at an Asian leaders’ summit on the Indonesian island of Bali, Xi said.
“I’ve met with President Putin almost 30 times since 2013,” he said. “I often joyfully recall every interaction I had with him.”
The emphasis on their personal ties was written into a joint statement issued during Xi’s visit that announced relations had entered a “New Era”, a phrase enshrined in China’s constitution to underline Xi’s elevated political status.
“[We shall] ensure the close interaction of our state leaders, via mutual visits, meetings, hotlines and letters of our state leaders,” the statement said.
Their relationship will also be ensured by an arrangement that involved their chiefs of staff, it said.
While Moscow and Beijing announced closer relations at a time when both were under fire from the US – Russia for its occupation in Crimea and interference with the 2016 US presidential election, and China for the trade war – the leaders’ ties have been warm since Xi’s ascent to power in 2012.
Russia was the destination of Xi’s first overseas stops in both his presidential terms, which started in 2013 and 2018. Putin also spoke to Xi by phone on the latter’s 60th and 65th birthday, also in 2013 and 2018.
According to Russian media reports, during Xi’s first trip to Russia in March 2013 – a week after he was confirmed as China’s president – Xi told Putin that they shared “very similar personalities”.
Li Lifan, an international relations professor at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi and Putin’s friendship was played up now as a contrast to the bleak exchanges between Chinese and Russian leaders of the past.
“Chinese people still have hard feelings about Russia for occupying Chinese land … The emphasis of state leaders’ personal ties aims to set an example to change that,” Li said.
- SCMP
More articles on Good Articles to Share
Nigerian court rejects ex-central bank chief's request for overseas medical treatment
Created by Tan KW | Jul 17, 2024
US received intel of Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, CNN reports
Created by Tan KW | Jul 17, 2024
U.S. housebuilding sentiment falls to lowest since December as high mortgage rates continue to bite
Created by Tan KW | Jul 17, 2024
Saudi PIF to promote cooperation with Chinese companies in renewable energy localization
Created by Tan KW | Jul 17, 2024
Four in five Americans fear country is sliding into chaos, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Created by Tan KW | Jul 17, 2024
Zelenskiy proposes legislation to strip awards from Ukrainian 'traitors'
Created by Tan KW | Jul 17, 2024
Discussions
Be the first to like this. Showing 19 of 19 comments
Generations of US Presidents invested time and money to split China- Russia...........
Trump comes along and undoes all the work....good show, Trump.
anyway, it is very typical Trump.
2019-06-09 17:57
we as small peanut country better be neutral..althougt jews very cruel toward palestine..must neutral in a right way, coz remember peanut...
2019-06-09 18:11
our passports don't allow us to go to Isreal....where got neutral?
so, no need to pretend neutral.
2019-06-09 18:15
If war happens, China will lose bcs all citizens prohibited from owning firearms. this strict rules make chinaman handicapped when face west citizens naturally become reserve soldiers. CCP over strict paranoid rules actually kill off its citizens.
2019-06-09 18:36
of coz some exception to israel, long debate on this matter..otherwise go to other country la..muslim also can apply spesific visa to visit al aqsa, jerusalam etc, still can..no worry
2019-06-09 18:37
Moron Trump actually help CCP to achieve shock awakening of harsh reality...CCP is in denial, too idealist mind of a full moral confucious, civilised society. CCP force all citizens to accept discipline civilised, rules abiding society all the time with limited freedom.
2019-06-09 18:41
yes Negan one more US,Japan,south korea, Singapore,Australia, Europe, UK, Israel...Take your side
2019-06-09 18:42
chinaman > Jun 9, 2019 6:41 PM | Report Abuse
.CCP is in denial, too idealist mind of a full moral confucious, civilised society. CCP force all citizens to accept discipline civilised, rules abiding society all the time with limited freedom.
=======================
I would not use words like denial, idealist..........It is basic Confucian ideas of harmony, unity is strength, divided we fall...it is a civilizational issue.
2019-06-09 18:47
short term pain for China.....but since it is a civilization clash, it is also unavoidable.
The ball is in US court. China does not want the war and China also cannot avoid it if US desires it.
2019-06-09 19:08
with this Trump, the big loser is US .......
the best strategy for US is actually to managed it for the whole world prosperity.............
2019-06-09 19:10
with this Trump, the big loser is US .......
the best strategy for US is actually to managed it for the whole world prosperity.............for a win win outcome.
2019-06-09 19:11
short term pain for China but political system strong enough to cope with it.
just hope the world don't catch a cold when China sneezes.
and the Trump induced recession is very very real.....
2019-06-09 19:16
Mexico is small fry...when a giant bullies a small kid, what u expect the small kid to do?
anyway, the whole Mexico thing is an engineered piece for show....no lasting impact....
2019-06-09 19:18
y Negan > Jun 9, 2019 7:17 PM | Report Abuse
Answer : You mean, short term pain for CCP!
==========
CCP will be CCP whether GDP is 10% or 1%............
2019-06-09 19:20
Since China opened up in 1978,it has seen world recession in 1985, asian financial crisis in 1998 , US financial crisis in 2008 , Europe financial crisis in 2011. China continued its growth unscatched by these crisis. China had proven to the world that its socialist system with chinese character work well in China. They, the CCP like to model the Singapore system where PAP had delivered with its almost 60 years of unchanged ruling government which provide a stable capitalist plus socialist system which take care of its citizen welfare much more than other so called democratic and fully capitalist sytem.
2019-06-09 20:02
Posted by Negan > Jun 9, 2019 3:23 PM | Report Abuse
It only justify US negative view of China! You know how much anti Russia sentiment is in US!
Russia today does not export revolution. anti Russia sentiment ?
2019-06-10 11:49
Post a Comment
Featured Posts
Latest Videos
Apps
Top Articles
1
Bursa Stock Musings - Thoughts & Ideas
PGF Capital - insti shareholding up from 5% to 14%! (part 1)
2
南洋行家论股
4
How to become a resilient trader
5
RHB Investment Research Reports
6
The Daily Pulse of Bursa Malaysia
7
8
Koon Yew Yin's Blog
#
Stock
Score
Daily Stocks
Stock Name
Last
Change
Volume
Stock Name
Last
Change
Volume
Stock Name
Last
Change
Volume
MQ Trading Signals
Stock
Time
Signal
Duration
Stock
Time
Signal
Duration
Featured Advertisers / Partners
Ride The Bull Short The Bear
CS Tan
4.9 / 5.0
This book is the result of the author's many years of experience and observation throughout his 26 years in the stockbroking industry. It was written for general public to learn to invest based on facts and not on fantasies or hearsay....
moneypedia
the reality is russia-china-iran-north korea etc vs usa-uk-europe etc...towards WW3 yooo.......
2019-06-09 17:30