- Written by Tessa Wong
- Digital Asia Correspondent, BBC News
Image source, Getty Images
Xi and Putin led the group of leaders into the Great Hall of the People in Beijing
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was given the red carpet treatment at a global summit in Beijing, as China and Russia deepen their solidarity.
The meeting, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, celebrated the tenth anniversary of his signature foreign and economic policy, the Belt and Road Initiative.
Putin was the guest of honor among leaders and officials from more than 130 countries.
He has rarely left his country since the invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Not only does he face increasing diplomatic isolation, but he has an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
It is unlikely that Putin will be arrested in China because Beijing is not a state party to the Statute of the International Criminal Court. He and Xi are known for their close relationship, with the Chinese leader famously declaring that their countries had a “borderless friendship” just before the war began.
Wednesday’s events began with an opening ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Mr. Xi entered with Putin, and the two entered the hall side by side in front of the leaders of other countries.
Putin was also front and center alongside the Chinese president in the group photo, and was the second to speak after Mr. Xi. They later held a three-hour bilateral meeting, in which they discussed Ukraine and the Middle East.
Later, Putin pointed to the increasing number of conflicts in the world. “All these external factors pose common threats and enhance Russian-Chinese cooperation,” he added in a press conference.
While Putin held a prominent position at previous Belt and Road summits, these events occurred before Russia began its war on Ukraine.
Since then, China has been criticized by the West for siding with Russia, even as it has also tried to show support for Ukraine.
Image source, Getty Images
Mr. Putin and Mr. Xi were front and center in the group photo
On Wednesday, Putin was keen to return the favor. In his speech, he pledged support for President Xi’s massive Belt and Road Initiative project, saying it was “in line with Russian ideas” and praised “our Chinese friends” for their achievements.
The Belt and Road Initiative has seen China pump an estimated $1 trillion into investment and infrastructure projects around the world.
Addressing a hall full of delegates, most of them from the so-called Global South group of developing countries, he also said that “Russia, China and the majority of the world’s countries share aspirations” for cooperation and economic progress.
Putin’s visit comes amid fears that China and Russia are building their own bloc to compete with the West.
Both countries have publicly condemned US-led “global hegemony” and called for a “multipolar” world with more centers of power.
In the run-up to the anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, China issued two white papers that position the Belt and Road Initiative as the solid foundation for a new world order, one that it views as more just and inclusive.
In a speech filled with Silk Road references and colorful aphorisms, Xi continued to stress this point. He said the Belt and Road Initiative “represents the progress of our time and the right way forward” and was “on the right side of history.”
He denounced “ideological confrontation, geopolitical competition and bloc politics”, unilateral sanctions and “decoupling” of supply chains. Beijing has often criticized Washington for leading what it sees as an unfair form of globalization.
In contrast, the Belt and Road Initiative encouraged “win-win cooperation” where “the flame burns brightest when everyone adds wood.”
Xi also laid out an eight-point plan on taking forward the Belt and Road Initiative, including promoting small enterprises, “green development” and “building integrity.”
The Belt and Road Initiative has been widely praised for stimulating development in many countries, but it has also been criticized for burdening borrowers with mountains of debt, damaging the environment, and fueling corruption and wasteful projects.
The summit, which was held in Beijing, attracted countries mostly from Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. Other attendees included Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and representatives of the Afghan Taliban government.
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