On May 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China for a two-day state visit to China. This is Putin's first foreign visit after being re-elected as president, and it is also the 20th visit to China since Putin took up the post of Russian president, which is enough to prove the importance that Putin attaches to Sino-Russian relations.
Although Putin's visit to China did not last long, lasting only two days, the activities were arranged quite compactly, and a great deal of results were achieved in political, economic, trade, and people-to-people exchanges.
On May 16, China and Russia held a meeting between the heads of state of the two countries, participated in the opening ceremony of the Sino-Russian Year of Culture and the concert for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and signed a series of bilateral trade and economic cooperation agreements. But the most important thing is the 10,000-character joint statement between China and Russia.
Putin's visit to China
The statement featured a number of highlights, such as the direct reference to the United States and the agreement between China and Russia to work more strategically together against hegemony. In addition to emphasizing a series of economic and people-to-people exchanges between China and Russia, there is also a set tone for Sino-Russian relations, and it can be said that the plans of Western countries led by the United States to undermine Sino-Russian relations have been completely bankrupt.
The joint statement pointed out that the current bilateral relations between China and Russia have surpassed the military-political alliance reached during the Cold War, and that Sino-Russian relations have the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of any third party. Most importantly, the statement pointed out that Sino-Russian relations are at the best level in history, which is not a stopgap measure and will not be affected by external influences, and has endogenous momentum and independent value.
Translated into the vernacular, this sentence means that no matter how Western countries provoke it, Sino-Russian relations will not be affected by it, and it will not affect Sino-Russian political relations or Sino-Russian economic exchanges, which means that it is clearly telling the United States that the development of Sino-Russian relations will not be provoked by the United States. This paragraph in the joint statement actually releases an important role, that is, setting the tone for Sino-Russian relations as a whole, which will be one of the most important political results of Putin's visit to China.
Sino-Russian relations
As everyone knows, since last year, the United States and the West have been trying to sow discord between China and Russia. At the beginning of the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the United States and Western countries collectively put pressure on China to play a "constructive" role in the Russia-Ukraine war. Although it is verbally asking China to play a role, in fact, it is to make China change its attitude towards the Russia-Ukraine war, stand on the same front with European and American countries, and put pressure on Russia.
This move is both a moral kidnapping of China, and the rhetoric of Western countries remains the same after the Chinese Foreign Ministry presented China's position paper on the Russia-Ukraine war. The purpose of this approach is already very clear, and it is not only asking China to express its position, but more importantly, whether it is contrary to Russia's. This can not only seek benefits for Western countries in the Russia-Ukraine war, but also sow discord between China and Russia.
And after this trick did not work, the Western countries began to further sow discord between China and Russia. From the initial accusation that China provided dual-use goods to Russia, it gradually changed to China continuing to maintain economic and trade relations with Russia, which is supporting Russia's war machine.
China and the United States
Even the United States openly issued a warning to Chinese financial institutions, saying that if Chinese banks continue to provide financial settlement services for Sino-Russian trade, they will take "secondary sanctions" against Chinese banks. They want to use this means to continue to put pressure on China to abandon its economic and trade cooperation with Russia.
The same is true of the intention of this move, although in the name of the Russian-Ukrainian war, but in fact it is to undermine the relationship between China and Russia, it is better to turn China and Russia against each other, and then China will join the US and Western camps to put pressure on Russia.
On May 16, U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Patel said that China's cooperation with Russia is critical to the reconstruction of Russia's defense industry, and that the United States views it as a "big problem." He said China cannot hope that it will continue to develop relations with Russia while maintaining relations with Europe, because Russia is a security threat to Europe itself. In due course, the U.S. government will take action to curb cooperation between China and Russia.
Russia-Ukraine war
In fact, the current Russian-Ukrainian war has entered a tug-of-war time, no matter which direction this war develops, Ukraine is unlikely to win, and Russia is unlikely to be defeated by virtue of the nuclear weapons in its hands as a hole card. While calling on its allies not to accept China's efforts to "persuade and promote peace" in the Russia-Ukraine war, the United States has been using this to put pressure on China and not allow China to continue to get closer to Russia. In addition to being able to sow discord between China and Russia, it is really difficult to think of any other purpose behind the United States.
Therefore, after the issuance of the Sino-Russian joint statement, whether it is pressure or threats from the outside world, everything has been settled. Because the Sino-Russian joint statement clearly states that it is the clearest signal to the United States, no matter how much the United States puts pressure on China, or even imposes sanctions on China, Sino-Russian relations are unlikely to be affected.