A summit on the “New Silk Road” infrastructure project is taking place in Beijing. Russian President Putin also traveled to China despite an international arrest warrant. Both states are close together.
Landing of the Russian presidential plane at Beijing capital airport in the morning. Vladimir Putin is the most prominent guest at the summit on the anniversary of the so-called “New Silk Road”.
The Russian president, who is largely isolated internationally, is wanted on an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Since the International Criminal Court issued the arrest warrant in March, Putin has traveled little abroad – his first trip to a non-post-Soviet country. Putin doesn’t have to worry about being arrested in China. Neither Russia nor the People’s Republic recognize the court in The Hague.
War in the Middle East overshadows summit
In an interview with Chinese state television CCTV that was broadcast a few days ago, Putin praised China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping in the highest tones. China is committed to common international goals and understands what is important in the world.
Putin was last in Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics in February last year. At that time, the Russian President and Xi Jinping promised each other a limitless friendship. Shortly thereafter, Russia invaded Ukraine. To date, China has not condemned the war of aggression, which violates international law, rejects sanctions and has even expanded relations with the aggressor Russia. Trade between the two countries has reached record levels.
The summit in Beijing is overshadowed by the war in the Middle East. Both Russia and China have criticized Israel’s heavy bombing of the densely populated Gaza Strip in response to Hamas attacks. However, both countries have not yet clearly condemned the attack by the militant Islamist Hamas on Israeli civilians as terrorism.
Taliban and Orban among the guests
The two-day Belt and Road Forum is the largest international summit China has held since the end of its strict zero-Covid policy. The People’s Republic wants to present itself as a country that has advanced international economic development over the past ten years – and as an alternative to the global leadership role of the USA.
Guests are expected from around 140 countries, most of them emerging countries, many of which are governed autocratically. Representatives of the Afghan Taliban are also expected. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the only EU head of government to take part in the summit.