Putin Arrives in Beijing After Trump's China Visit, Focusing World Politics on China-Russia Axis

Beijing. Within hours of US President Donald Trump's China visit ending, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing, once again centering world politics on the China-Russia axis.

This meeting, held amidst the Ukraine war, energy politics, US-China relations, and Middle East tensions, is being viewed in conjunction with the global power balance.

President Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to the Kremlin, both leaders are scheduled to hold detailed discussions on further strengthening Russia-China strategic partnership, increasing coordination on international and regional issues, and building common ground in the changing world order.

This visit is considered particularly significant because Trump, as the first US president to visit China in nearly a decade, had visited Beijing last week and attempted to stabilize US-China relations. However, with analyses suggesting no concrete achievements from that visit, Putin's arrival in Beijing is seen as sending a message of the continued strength of Moscow-Beijing relations.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Western countries attempted to isolate Moscow diplomatically and economically. Since then, Russia has become increasingly dependent on China. The Chinese market has become a major destination for Russian oil, and Moscow has increased its reliance on Beijing for economic support due to Western sanctions.

Even before the visit, both leaders demonstrated the closeness of their relationship by exchanging congratulatory messages on the occasion of their 30 years of strategic partnership. According to Chinese state media, President Xi mentioned that Russia-China cooperation is continuously deepening.

Similarly, in a video message to the Chinese people on Tuesday, Putin stated that Russia-China relations have reached an 'unprecedented height'. He mentioned that trade between the two countries is growing rapidly and claimed that both nations are working for world peace and common prosperity without forming alliances against anyone. Although Putin did not name any third country in his address, his remarks are seen as a message targeted at the US, and both leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration after the talks.

Last September, during his Beijing visit, President Xi warmly welcomed Putin, calling him an 'old friend'. According to analysts, although Putin's visit had less public fanfare compared to Trump's visit, the China-Russia relationship has reached a stage where such displays are no longer necessary. According to Patricia Kim of the Brookings Institution in Washington, Beijing and Moscow consider their relationship much more stable and structurally stronger than the US-China relationship. Both countries are currently drawn closer by common strategic interests.

Since the start of the Ukraine war, China has consistently advocated for a negotiated solution, but Beijing has not openly criticized Russia's military invasion and has presented itself as a neutral party. Last week, the issue of the Ukraine war was also raised during the talks between Trump and Xi, but analysts believe the US president returned from China without any concrete agreement or achievement.

According to Patricia Kim, it is highly likely that President Xi will provide detailed information about his talks with Trump to Putin. She commented that the lack of clear results from the Trump-Xi meeting has assured Moscow that China has not made any agreement against its interests.

Energy cooperation is also expected to be a focus of this meeting. After Trump recently claimed that China agreed to buy American oil, it is analyzed that Moscow wants to further strengthen its energy ties with Beijing. According to Lyle Morris of the Asia Society, Russia is dependent on the Chinese market to continue its war efforts, and therefore Putin does not want to lose China's support.

Putin also appears interested in understanding China's upcoming strategy regarding the Middle East situation. It is assessed that China and Russia may have slightly different perspectives on the tensions between the US-Israel and Iran. According to James Char of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, China wants to keep the major sea routes for world trade and energy supply open and wishes for the tension in the Strait of Hormuz to end soon.

However, Moscow is analyzed to be benefiting economically from rising energy prices due to the conflict in Iran. It is said that Russia is in a different strategic position due to the increased demand for Russian energy exports despite Western sanctions.

After meeting President Xi last April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia could meet China's energy deficit in a situation where global supply is unstable. According to Joseph Webster of the Atlantic Council, energy cooperation is likely to be a major agenda item in this meeting. China is seeking more Russian energy, and as Ukraine continuously attacks Russian energy infrastructure, Moscow also appears willing to expand oil exports eastward.