Status: 09/15/2022 10:56 a.m
At the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China is primarily concerned with symbolism: Head of state Xi need not fear criticism there and can demonstrate Russia’s support. Friendship has limits.
The trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan must have been chosen with care. China has invested heavily in the region and maintains friendly relations with the Central Asian states. Xi Jinping will therefore not expect criticism on his first trip abroad in more than two and a half years. Not even at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, which is taking place today and tomorrow. The organization, which is dominated by China and Russia, has set itself the goal of security and cooperation, according to official statements.
Robin Ramcharan, Professor of International Relations and head of the Asia Center in Bangkok, has no great expectations of the trip and the summit: “The whole thing is primarily symbolic,” he says. “It is Xi Jinping’s first trip abroad in a long time. For him, this is a place where there are no uncertainties. It’s about validating each other.”
China’s understanding of Russia
For the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Xi is meeting in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is also attending the summit. At the beginning of February, a few weeks before the start of the war, the two had declared a “friendship without borders”. China does not criticize the invasion and presents the USA and the military alliance NATO as the main culprits of the war.
The statements made by Li Zhanshu a few days ago caused a stir. The high-ranking Chinese politician was visiting Moscow and, in conversation with Russian politicians, expressed his understanding for Russia’s invasion: “In the case of Ukraine, the USA and NATO threatened Russia right on its doorstep, national security and the lives of the people in the country endangered,” he said. Russia “took measures that were necessary. China expressed understanding and reacted accordingly.”
In addition, Russia and China have recently significantly expanded their economic relations with each other. China benefits above all from cheap oil and gas supplies from Russia.
Connect same interests
But the friendship with Russia also has limits. Although the Chinese government condemns sanctions imposed by democratic states against Russia, it largely does not violate them so as not to risk sanctions itself. Economic relations with the USA and the European Union are many times more important to China than those with Russia.
That’s why you can’t speak of an alliance between China and Russia, says May-Britt Stumbaum from the Bundeswehr University in Munich: “Authoritarian states don’t enter into alliances. China in particular wants to be independent here. But you have the same ones interests and that connects us very strongly.”
In addition, there is the chemistry between the two heads of state: “Xi and Putin have a strong interest in staying in power. They both have an interest in pushing authoritarianism further forward so that they are not further cornered by the Western powers And that’s a very strong bond.”
Xi under pressure in China
The fact that the head of state and party leader, who used to like to travel often, has not left the People’s Republic for so long is partly due to the corona pandemic. The country of origin of the pandemic still adheres to a strict zero-Covid policy.
In a month’s time, Xi wants to be confirmed for a third term at a Communist Party congress, but he is under domestic pressure. Many people in the People’s Republic are tired after two and a half years of zero Covid – with closed borders, domestic travel bans, mass tests and tough lockdowns. China’s economy is having massive problems because of the zero-Covid policy. A meeting with friendly heads of state should therefore be seen by the state and party leadership as welcome propaganda.