Vladimir Putin’s envy for Xi Jinping’s great leap forward

Vladimir Putin has admitted to being ‘envious’ of China’s rising economic heft, as he hosted Xi ­Jinping in Moscow.

‘Dear friends’ Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin discuss their mutual interests during talks in the Kremlin on Monday. Picture: AFP

Vladimir Putin has admitted to being “envious” of China’s rising economic heft, as he hosted Xi ­Jinping in Moscow on a trip some analysts say underscores Russia’s “vassalage” to its rising neighbour.

The Chinese leader’s three-day visit comes days after a war-crimes tribunal in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for the Russian President and amid intense focus on the two strongmen leaders’ discussions about the future of Mr Putin’s war in Ukraine.

As the two self-described “dear friends” began their second day of meetings on Tuesday, Tokyo ­revealed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was heading to Kyiv to meet President Volody­myr Zelensky.

Mr Kishida’s trip was to “show respect to the courage and ­patience of the Ukrainian people who are standing up to defend their homeland under Mr Zelensky’s leadership,” the Japanese foreign ministry said.

In a pointed contrast to Mr Xi’s trip, the Japanese leader said he wanted to show his “absolute ­rejection to Russia’s one-sided change to the status quo by ­invasion and force, and to affirm his commitment to defend the rules-based international order”.

Beijing is under intense scrutiny by the US, Europe and their international allies as it gives ­rhetorical and financial support to Moscow.

Mr Xi has shrugged off such criticism and has championed the improvement of the China-Russia relationship throughout his first decade in power.

“Our countries share many overlapping or similar goals as we move forward,” the Chinese leader told Mr Putin on Monday.

The Russian leader applauded Mr Xi’s “fair and balanced” position on the “Ukraine crisis” and praised China’s “colossal leap forward” in its economy in recent years.

“It has been the object of sincere interest around the entire world, and we are even a bit envious of you,” Mr Putin said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the “world should not be fooled” by a potential Chinese-Russian peace plan for Ukraine that would “freeze” in place territory seized by Russian forces.

“The fundamental element of any plan for ending the war in Ukraine and producing a just and durable peace must be upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Mr Blinken said.

As the Moscow summit continued, Beijing’s propaganda machine said criticism from America only underlined the importance of the China-Russia relationship.

“The US’s attempt to overwhelm both China and Russia at the same time is only creating a situation in which the back-to-back co-ordination between China and Russia is getting closer and closer,” China’s official news agency Xinhua wrote in a widely circulated commentary piece.

Despite the tension, Washington and Beijing are discussing a potential trip to China by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the White House said.

Preparations for the high-level visits follow the cancellation of a trip to China by Mr Blinken last month after a Chinese surveillance balloon flew over the US.

Evan Feigenbaum, a former senior Adviser in the US State ­Department, said “no one should expect Xi to impose conditions” on Russia to achieve a peace settlement.

“To be sure, Beijing is working hard to create a perception of balance. But in doing so, it is playing primarily to a few audiences while ignoring the United States: Ukraine, Russia, the global south, and, to a much lesser extent, ­Europe,” Mr Feigenbaum said.

Russia has become increasingly dependent on China after Moscow’s former main trade partner Europe curtailed its resources.

Last year China bought nearly 30 per cent of Russia’s exports. ­Almost 40 per cent of Russia’s imports are now from China.

The two leaders are expected to sign more deals during this week’s visit as Beijing takes advantage of Russia’s lack of other markets.

Alexander Gabuev, director at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia ­Centre, said Russia was well on the way to “vassalage to China”.

“Thirteen months into the war, Russia is increasingly dependent on China as a market for its commodities, as a source of critical imports, and as its most important diplomatic partner amid its growing global isolation,” Mr Gabuev said.

“Indeed, Russia may soon be more dependent on China than it ever was on Europe.”