Russian President Vladimir Putin Meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping Amid Ukraine Conflict

In only his second known trip abroad since an arrest warrant was issued for him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March, Putin and his delegation touched down at Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday morning, as captured in Reuters video footage. He was warmly greeted by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

This visit to China also marks President Putin’s first official trip outside of the former Soviet Union this year, following his visit to Kyrgyzstan, another former Soviet republic, earlier this month.

It is important to note that the ICC had accused Putin of illegally deporting children from Ukraine, which obliges the court’s 123 member states to arrest him and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory. However, neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are signatories to the ICC, established to prosecute war crimes.

President Xi last met with Putin shortly after the ICC issued the arrest warrant, emphasizing their close relationship. During that meeting, Xi invited Putin to attend the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, an international cooperation forum championed by the Chinese leader.

Putin is expected to attend the official opening reception of the forum, hosted by Xi, and engage in discussions with leaders from Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, and Laos on Tuesday, as reported by Russian media.

As the chief guest of the forum, Putin will address the gathering following President Xi’s speech on Wednesday. He is also scheduled for bilateral talks with the Chinese president later in the day.

China has consistently rejected Western criticism of its partnership with Russia, maintaining that their collaboration does not violate international norms, and asserting China’s right to engage with any country of its choosing.

This visit underscores the enduring nature of the “no-limits” partnership between Russia and China, which was declared at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022, just days before Russia deployed tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Putin’s presence at the Belt and Road Forum is his third, having attended the previous editions in 2017 and 2019.

The forum primarily revolves around the Belt and Road Initiative, a large-scale plan initiated by President Xi a decade ago. This ambitious project aims to create global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe through overland and maritime routes. Putin has lauded the initiative as a platform for international cooperation where no one imposes their will on others.

Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, Russia and China have strengthened their energy ties, with Russia becoming a significant supplier of oil to China, exporting approximately 2.0 million barrels per day. Moscow also has plans to build a second natural gas pipeline to China, cementing their economic cooperation.

While the heads of Russia’s major energy companies, Rosneft and Gazprom, are part of Putin’s delegation, it is not anticipated that new energy deals will be announced during this visit. The Kremlin has characterized the trip as a visit on the sidelines of an international conference rather than a full-fledged bilateral visit.