Putin and Xi have been good friends for a long time and now they are kicking off no-limits ties | Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday for a four-day state visit in what many believe will be more than just a Victory Parade outing and more about meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to tighten the screws on the West.
Xi’s article, published on The Russian Gazette and reproduced on the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs press website, explicitly says Russia supports his efforts to ‘reunify’ Taiwan under Chinese rule. The president also wrote that both countries must together “firmly defend international fairness and justice.”
In the meantime, Ukraine did what Putin had said they would. They anticipated the Chinese president’s arrival with fireworks, but not the colourful, festive ones famous in the Asian country, but from drones aimed at the Russian capital.
Russia destroys 19 drones, but not without disruptions
Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said Russia’s air defence units destroyed at least 19 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Putin said he would respect the three-day ceasefire on his neighbouring “enemies” that he had proposed several days ago, anticipating his counterpart from Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky, would not honour.
The attacks forced most of Moscow’s airports to close, and the Guardian reported that Russia’s national carrier, Aeroflot, said it was reordering timetables to cope with the disruption.
The drone wave aimed to spoil the Kremlin’s preparations for Victory Day. It did succeed in forcing at least one world leader to divert his Moscow flight on Wednesday. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s plane was rerouted to Baku, Azerbaijan, before eventually landing in the Russian capital.
The closure of major airports affected 60,000 passengers. Despite these disruptions, Xi continued his visit, attending the military parade and engaging in talks with Vladimir Putin.
Strengthening ties in gas and energy
The visit demonstrates strengthening ties between China and Russia, highlighted by a record bilateral trade of $245 billion in 2024 and ongoing discussions on energy cooperation, including the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, the conduit by which Russia will send China 50 billion cubic metres of gas a year.
Xi emphasised the importance of both nations’ roles in global stability and criticised interference in their relationship.
While China maintains a stance of neutrality regarding the Ukraine conflict, Kyiv has accused Beijing of indirectly aiding Russia, citing the presence of Chinese mercenaries on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy warned foreign leaders against visiting Moscow during this volatile period, disclaiming responsibility for their safety.
Xi’s visit, his 11th to Russia, reinforces the “no limits” partnership between the two countries. He is among 29 world leaders attending the parade, marking the largest foreign delegation to Red Square since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Xi and Putin’s ‘no limits’ ties
The Chinese leader’s visit, which comes as his country faces a trade war launched by Donald Trump and soon after Ukraine accused China of directly aiding Russia’s invasion, highlights his close ties with Putin.
The Russian foreign ministry described the trip as “one of the central events in Russian-Chinese relations this year”. Xi will sign numerous cooperation agreements, deepening China and Russia’s “no limits” relationship.
Russia and China oppose Taiwan’s independence
In an article published on Wednesday, Xi wrote: “China and Russia are both major countries with significant influence and are constructive forces in maintaining global strategic stability and improving global governance … Together we must foil all schemes to disrupt or undermine our bonds of amity and trust.”
Xi spoke of the “one-China principle, saying, “Taiwan is an inalienable part of his country’s territory. He said China and Russia “oppose any form of Taiwan independence.” He also said Russia “firmly supports all measures of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to achieve national reunification.”
“We (Russia and China) must firmly defend international fairness and justice,” he wrote, raising the question worldwide of when he will actually begin his bid to “reunify” Taiwan.
As Moscow showcases its alliances amidst Western isolation, the juxtaposition of Xi’s arrival with the drone attacks highlights the complex dynamics at play in the region.
