Lavrov arrives in China with Ukraine as a hot topic
Russia and China have long had one of the strongest partnerships on the international chessboard. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions against Moscow only further reinforced this strong bond. The Kremlin knows that Beijing is its best ally, and now, amid a sea of criticism of China for its support for the Russians in the Ukrainian war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has travelled to the Chinese capital to show that ties are at their best.
Russia flexes its muscles
If Western countries were intensifying their criticism of Beijing over its stance on the Russian invasion, the Kremlin is showing that its alliance is indeed above any critical Western voices. Lavrov arrived in China today to meet with his counterpart Wang Yi to discuss "a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues, as well as interaction in the international arena".
The statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry specifically mentions some of the issues they themselves describe as "burning issues". The meeting is expected to address issues such as "the crisis in Ukraine and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region". However, there is also space reserved on the agenda for other issues such as "joint work" in multilateral organisations and forums, including the BRICS and the G20, among others.
This is a continuation of the meetings that Lavrov and Wang Yi held in October in Beijing and in September in Moscow. China is thus demonstrating to the world that attempts to isolate the Russians, at least as far as they are concerned, are not proving very fruitful. In fact, the sanctions against Moscow caused exchanges between the governments of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to increase considerably, reaching a record high in 2023.
A record-breaking partnership
Xi Jinping came to the aid of what he considers his 'old friend', Putin, at a time when he needed it most. Western sanctions have led to a marked increase in exchanges between Beijing and Moscow, driving this partnership to a record high last year. Data for the end of 2023 reflected a trade volume of 240 billion dollars, the highest figure ever recorded.
With this increase, China is now a supplier of all kinds of goods to the Russians. From textiles to machinery, which were boosted by the exodus of many Russian-based manufacturers and, of course, the sanctions that blocked much of the Kremlin's trade. At the same time, Russia has greatly increased its exports of raw materials to Beijing, especially carbon and oil. An improvement in their relationship is viewed with concern in the West.
US warns of boost in China-Russia relations
According to Bloomberg, Washington is warning its partners about the improvement in ties between Beijing and Moscow. While the rapport between the two administrations has never been a secret, the increased exchange is of concern to the US, especially when it comes to the provision of geospatial intelligence allegedly aimed at boosting Russia's potential in the war in Ukraine. This is in addition to the satellite imagery that China has provided to the Russians for military purposes along with microelectronics and tank machinery.
Moreover, US President Joe Biden himself expressed his concern in a telephone conversation with Xi Jinping last week. This was reported by White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson. And that is why US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on his European allies to redouble their efforts in the face of the worrying increase in cooperation between Russia and China.
