“Brothers forever”: Presidents Putin and Xi cement their ties, again

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: In February 2022, days before Russia invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin attended the Olympic Games in Beijing, returned with a promise of “limitless friendship” with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, and ordered his armed forces to launch a “special military campaign” that has dragged on from his intended “48 hours” to nearly 26 months now.

Now, concluding his two-day Beijing visit on Friday, President Putin declared that the Russians and Chinese are “brothers forever.”
Is this an indication of the final and decisive assault on Ukraine?

And remember that whenever China declares a country as a ‘brother’—such as India before 1962, or Vietnam until 1978—what it means is a step-brother! So, is Beijing now preparing to dump Moscow the way it did New Delhi some six decades ago?

According to media reports, Presidents Xi Jinping, 70, and Vladimir Putin, 71, pledged a “new era” of partnership between the two most powerful rivals of the United States. Putin spoke highly of the people-to-people ties between the two countries, saying that the Russians and the Chinese are “brothers forever.”

They signed a joint statement on Thursday about the “new era” that proclaimed opposition to the United States on several security issues and a shared view on everything from Taiwan and Ukraine to North Korea and cooperation on new peaceful nuclear technologies and finance.

Speaking ahead of a concert dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the start of the Cross-Cultural Years, Putin expressed confidence in the continuation of cordial ties between the two countries. He also compared the Moscow-Beijing ties with a song from the 1940s: ‘Russian and Chinese are brothers forever.’

Putin landed in Beijing on Wednesday to meet his “dear friend” Xi Jinping who arranged a 21-gun salute to greet the visitor. After he got himself ‘re-elected’ for a fifth term last week, Putin chose China as his first foreign destination indicating his priorities and the strength of his ties with Xi.

“The China-Russia relationship today is hard-earned, and the two sides need to cherish and nurture it,” Xi told Putin.

“China is willing to … jointly achieve the development and rejuvenation of our respective countries, and work together to uphold fairness and justice in the world.”

Xi told Putin that China has maintained its strategic resolve in the face of global changes and Beijing is willing to work with Moscow and other countries to enhance solidarity and cooperation, steer global governance in the right direction, jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, and promote world peace and common development.

Asserting that China’s development is unstoppable and that no force can contain China’s growth and progress, Putin said that Russia is willing to further improve cooperation with China and other Global South countries to promote international fairness and justice, and to work toward a more equal and multipolar world. The two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis.

Xi elaborated on China’s consistent position and efforts to promote the political settlement of the Ukraine issue, stressing that to deal with any major issue, it is necessary to address both the symptoms and the root causes and to plan for the present as well as for the long term. Xi said China supports the convening of an international peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine at an appropriate time with equal participation and fair discussion of all options.

Putin said that Russia appreciates China’s objective, just, and balanced position on the Ukraine issue and welcomes China to continue to play an important and constructive role in the political settlement of the issue.

“The United States still thinks in terms of the Cold War and is guided by the logic of bloc confrontation, putting the security of ‘narrow groups’ above regional security and stability, which creates a security threat for all countries in the region,” the joint statement read.

Reacting to the meeting, the US said it found China’s essential reconstitution of Russia’s defense industrial base “deeply problematic” and will take appropriate action on the issue when necessary. US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said China cannot have stronger ties with Europe and other countries while supporting Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine.

“The People’s Republic of China can’t have its cake and eat it too. You cannot have it both ways. You want to have good, further stronger, deeper relationships with Europe and other countries. While simultaneously continuing to fuel the biggest threat to European security in a long time. It’s important that this is not just the US position, it is shared by our partners in the G7, our partners at NATO, and our partners in the EU,” he said.