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China-Russia relations
ChinaDiplomacy

No limits? Why Vladimir Putin’s latest visit will test China-Russia ties

  • Trip expected to be a show of the growing geostrategic alignment and ‘deep friendship’ between leaders
  • But it could also reveal limits as Beijing tries to keep Moscow close while avoiding sanctions over Ukraine

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Shi Jiangtao
China’s expanding relations with Russia will be put to the test when Vladimir Putin makes an official visit this week, as Beijing tries to keep Moscow close while avoiding Western sanctions over the Ukraine war.
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The Russian president will arrive in Beijing on Thursday for a two-day trip that is expected to be a show of the neighbours’ growing geostrategic alignment and the “deep friendship” of Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. But analysts say it could also reveal the limits of China-Russia ties.

With its full-scale invasion of Ukraine now in a third year, Russia – hit by sanctions and isolated by the West – has been edging closer to Beijing.

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As the US and its allies pile pressure on China over its alleged support for Russia’s defence industry, analysts say Putin will be keen to secure a commitment to the nations’ “no limits” partnership during his visit.

“For Putin, the visit is important to emphasise that the strategic partnership with China remains strong, at a time when his own personal travel is restricted and his country is isolated internationally and economically,” said Elizabeth Wishnick, an expert on China-Russia ties and senior research scientist at the Centre for Naval Analyses, a US think tank.

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