The illegitimate president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, announced plans to visit China already in May.
Putin's first trip abroad in six years
Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China on May 16-17. During his visit, he will hold negotiations with the leader of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping. During these negotiations, he plans to adopt several documents and sign a joint statement.
The leaders of Russia and China will discuss in detail the entire complex of issues of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, determine the key directions for the further development of Russian-Chinese practical cooperation, and also exchange views in detail on the most pressing international and regional problems, the press service of the aggressor country said.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reminds that this will be Putin's first foreign trip in six years.
One of his primary goals will be to find ways to minimize any disruption to the economic lifeline that China has provided its embattled regime since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian officials connected with China remained in their posts
During the reshuffle in the Russian government, key officials for Chinese-Russian relations remained in place. The new Minister of Defence, Andrei Belousov, is an economist with deep ties to the Chinese leadership.
Since February 2022, Beijing has become the largest market for Russian oil and gas, as well as a key source of imports. They range from innocent consumer goods to components that keep the military machine running. As Chinese supplies of dual-purpose goods help the Kremlin outpace Ukraine and the West, leaving Ukrainian defenders in the face of Russian firepower, Washington is now trying to stem the flow, the Financial Times notes.
At the same time, according to the author, hopes that this will finally solve the problem remain only "wishful thinking for publications" since the Russian and Chinese governments have demonstrated "an extraordinary ability to adapt to US restrictions" over the past two years".
Putin's visit opens up a new opportunity to privately consider options before quietly implementing them. He is expected to be accompanied by an experienced team from the central bank and finance ministry, which have been in charge of the Kremlin's efforts to de-dollarize Russia's financial system since 2014.
Their bold moves allowed the country to weather the initial shock of the sanctions and then quickly transition its financial system from dependence on the dollar and euro to reliance on the yuan.
