Sébastien Le Belzic, edited by Yanis Darras 10:52 a.m., September 08, 2022
After more than two and a half years without leaving its territory, Chinese President Xi Jinping is preparing to meet Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan next week.
A meaningful meeting for NATO and its allies, in the midst of the war in Ukraine and against a backdrop of the energy crisis.
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The visit is symbolic.
As the Western world confronts Russia in the Ukrainian theater and against the backdrop of a historic energy crisis, Xi Jinping chooses Moscow over NATO.
Indeed, for his first trip abroad since 2020, the Chinese president is not visiting Joe Biden, but rather Vladimir Putin.
A meeting scheduled in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 15 and 16.
The two men had already seen each other in Beijing in February 2022, during the Winter Olympics.
A last meeting before the start of the war in Ukraine.
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Six months later, this meeting should give the opportunity to display the unity of the two countries against the West, and in particular against the United States and NATO.
"Russia is currently repositioning itself. It is turning resolutely towards the east. It is turning towards the Asia-Pacific region and its southern neighbours", explains Sergei Catherine, President of the Chamber, at the microphone of Europe 1. of Commerce and Industry of Russia.
Increase in gas and oil imports
First concerned, China intends to strengthen this rapprochement on its side.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Beijing has dramatically increased its imports of Russian gas, oil and coal.
A boon for Moscow, while Europe wants to cap the price of Russian gas and Gazprom regularly stops the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
And this week, the Russian company announced that China would henceforth settle its contracts in rubles and yuan, and no longer in dollars.
Another strong symbol of closer ties between Moscow and Beijing.