Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Russia on the 20th and held an informal meeting with President Putin. President Putin has indicated his respect for the document issued by China calling for dialogue and a ceasefire regarding the situation in Ukraine, and the focus will be on what kind of discussions will continue at the summit meeting to be held on the 21st.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow, the capital of Russia, on the evening of March 20, Japan time, and held an informal meeting with President Putin in the Kremlin and shook his hand.
This is the first visit to Russia since Russia's military invasion of Ukraine began in February last year.
At the beginning of the meeting, President Putin welcomed the meeting and said, "We have carefully considered your proposals to resolve the serious crisis in Ukraine," and expressed his willingness to discuss the meeting while respecting China's February document calling for dialogue and ceasefire.
In response, President Xi emphasized China's stance of strengthening relations with Russia, saying, "China attaches great importance to bilateral relations and positions us as having a very close relationship with each other, and the two countries can achieve their respective goals by working together."
According to the Office of the President of Russia, the two leaders then held an informal one-on-one dinner with only interpreters.
The two leaders are scheduled to hold a summit meeting on June 2, and the focus will be on what kind of discussions will continue regarding the situation in Ukraine.
Expert: "We have no choice but to strengthen relations"
In an interview with NHK, Russian international political scientist Dmitry Suslov expressed the view that the Putin administration has no choice but to strengthen relations with China as it positions the war for its own survival as the confrontation with the United States and other countries over the situation in Ukraine deepens.
Suslov emphasized that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia "shows that China is seen as the most important and priority diplomatic partner," noting that both the Communist Party and the head of the country are the first foreign visits in his third term.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, he said, "Although the positions of the two countries do not necessarily coincide, China fully understands Russia's concerns and positions," and expressed his belief that the dialogue and ceasefire document announced by China are close to Russia's national interests.
"China has absolutely no idea of inflicting defeat on Russia, compensating for its losses, and trying criminals in international courts," Suslov said, adding that many common ground will be found at the summit.
Referring to President Putin's appeal to the people of Ukraine on May 3, saying that it was a battle for the survival of the country, he said, "Even considering the risks of increasing dependence on China in the long term, Russia has no choice but to strengthen its relations with China in order to fight for its own survival." For the time being, Russia expressed the view that it would strengthen its dependence on China in various fields.
"Russia stands on the premise that Russia will not be defeated by China, because Russia's defeat will lead to China's own strategic defeat," Suslov said, adding that China would not want its neighbor Russia to lose in the midst of confrontation with the United States. He expressed the view that strengthening strategic relations between China and Russia is inevitable.
Russian opinion poll: "Positive for China 85%"
In Russia, where the confrontation with the West is deepening due to the invasion of Ukraine, more and more people are viewing China positively.
In a country-based opinion survey released by Russia's independent polling agency on March 3, 9% of respondents answered that they were "positive" about China, the highest by country. That's an increase of 85 points from the time of the survey conducted about three years ago.
On the other hand, 3% said they were "positive" about the United States. When I spoke to citizens in the capital Moscow, many expressed their hope for strengthening relations with China.
One of them, a 20-year-old man, bearing in mind the deepening confrontation with the West over the situation in Ukraine, said, "Friendly relations with China are of utmost importance in these difficult times."
He then said, "If China were to mediate this conflict, it would be resolved more quickly and it would be easier for Russia," and expressed his hope that China would play a mediator role in the peace negotiations while taking into account Russia's position.
The 14-year-old said, "It is clear that both countries have common interests in the divided world, and that China supports Russia to a certain extent."
On the other hand, he also said, "We should not overestimate the love of the Chinese people for Russia," and expressed caution about over-dependence on China.
US Secretary of State: "Don't be fooled by Russia's bargaining"
At a press conference on the 20th, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken criticized the China-Russia summit meeting, saying, "President Xi visited Russia a few days after the ICC = International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin, which suggests that China does not feel the need to hold the Russian government accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine."
Bearing in mind the document issued by China calling for dialogue and a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, he warned that "a call for a ceasefire that does not include the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine effectively confirms the occupation by Russia.