© picture alliance / Anadolu | Kremlin Press Service
According to the U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal, China is already thinking about the Russia that will emerge after Putin has left the political stage.
Xi Jinping, the 73-year-old Chinese leader, is reportedly already establishing contacts with Russian politicians, officials, and elites who could come to hold sway in Russia in the post-Putin era.
Whereas Xi Jinping viewed Putin as his role model during their initial meetings, the roles have now been reversed. Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia has become increasingly dependent on China for its economy. The Chinese are buying Russian oil, supplying key industrial goods, and helping to keep Russia’s war economy afloat.
One-third of Russia’s export revenue comes from its trade with China. Conversely, less than four percent of Russian exports go to China: Putin therefore clearly needs Xi Jinping more than Xi Jinping needs him.
In May of this year, Putin paid another visit to Beijing. There, he sought to reach an agreement on the “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline. That pipeline would be able to transport Russian gas to China via Mongolia and offset the loss of Russian gas exports to Europe. However, no agreement was reached—clear evidence of the shifting balance of power between Moscow and Beijing.
Picture: © picture alliance / Anadolu | Kremlin Press Service