Western countries are looking for signs from the meeting between Xi and Putin about how far China is ready to support its warring partner, writes Asian correspondent Kirsi Crowley.
BEIJING Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin vowed “cooperation without borders” at the Beijing Winter Olympics just before Russia invaded Ukraine. China did not condemn its neighbor’s actions.
Nevertheless, many experts believe that China will not necessarily give Russia its full support when the leaders of the countries meet today in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
China still wants to hold on to its trade with the West. And supporting war crimes would not look good either.
So far, Chinese companies and banks have been careful not to violate Western sanctions against Russia.
However, China has taken I will benefit from the collapse of the Russian economy – as well as many other Asian countries. They have bought oil and gas from Russia cheaper than they could get elsewhere.
According to the August customs statistics, China’s energy purchases from Russia increased by 60 percent in August from a year ago.
In developing countries, cheaper energy is sought for help in the international economic crisis that is also affecting them, when the war in Ukraine drove prices up.
In China, where economic growth has slowed down, inflation can be dammed with Russian energy, while the drastic corona lockdowns continue to torment consumption, production and the everyday life of the people. Inflation in China was 2.5 percent in August, which is significantly lower than in Europe.
Breaking away from the West’s sphere of influence is also confirmed by the fact that energy trade is now planned to be done in Russian rubles and Chinese yuan instead of dollars.
Putin and Xi meet in Shanghai at the meeting of the cooperation organization SCO in Samarkand. Appearing in Uzbekistan is also proof of the circle of influence they are building.
There is a cavalcade of leaders at the meeting, some of whom do not always like the United States. The leaders of Iran, Turkey and maybe even Syria will be included.
It is certainly important to Xi Jinping that, on his first trip abroad since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, he appears at the forefront of a growing organization where the West is conspicuous by its absence.
This strengthens the image of Xi as a trendsetter who aims to lead the new world order that sidesteps Western democracy.
Since Russian energy is currently cheaper for developing countries than that produced elsewhere in the world, Russia’s isolation has little resonance outside the West.
This may not change even if developing countries are threatened with sanctions.
You can discuss the topic until Friday at 11 p.m.
More on the topic in Aamu on TV1 at 7.10 am.
Read also:
China is already experimenting with a digital currency that replaces banknotes – the digiyuan gives the administration a way to look into people’s wallets