Chinese President Xi Jinping, on March 20, 2023, arrived in Moscow on a three-day state visit to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, drawing harsh criticism from the West. Western countries consider the visit as explicit support to the Russian leader. During the visit, China and Russia signed numerous agreements to show their willingness to reinforce their bilateral relations.

Key Agreements Signed Between China and Russia

China and Russia have recently signed 14 agreements aimed at reinforcing their political, economic, cultural, and sports cooperation. Among these agreements, the most important ones seek to achieve the following objectives:

1.    Shaping a joint security vision:

Russia and China signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for a new era which is based on their rejection of military alliances adopted by the United States. . The two countries emphasized that their relationship is not similar to the military and political alliance forged during the Cold War, explicitly criticizing the efforts being made by the United States to build military alliances to contain the two countries. The joint statement further highlights the risks associated with the establishment of the “Trilateral Security Partnership” (AUKUS) by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, which explicitly shows their willingness to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the United States.

On the other hand, China and Russia called on the United States to report on its military biological activities since it is the sole State Party to the Chemical Weapons Convention that has not yet completed the elimination of the use of chemical weapons. The Sino-Russian joint statement further called on the United States to stop building bases for intermediate-range and shorter-range ground-based missiles in the Asia-Pacific and European regions.

Moscow emphasized that the United States is undermining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons by supplying Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. Moreover, US biological weapons are seen as a threat to Russia's national security, especially since Moscow accuses Washington of developing biological weapons in Ukraine.

Furthermore, the joint statement explicitly shows Russia's opposition to any form of independence of Taiwan. This message is directed towards Washington, as Russia and China jointly reject the United States' efforts to separate Taiwan from China.

2.    Strengthening economic cooperation:

The summit meeting between China and Russia resulted in the signing of several economic agreements, with the most significant one being the deal on the proposed Power of Siberia 2 pipeline project. This project aims to deliver 50 million cubic meters/year of natural gas to China, running for 6,700 km across Russia, Mongolia, and China. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the energy field, including nuclear and clean energy. Russia intends to emphasize that its natural gas has alternative buyers who can replace European states, hence rendering the Western sanctions against the Russian energy industry less effective.

Moreover, the two sides announced a joint plan to develop the main areas of economic cooperation until 2030. They emphasized an increase in their trade volume and the use of modern technologies, such as e-commerce. They also agreed on coordinating efforts in logistics investments and infrastructure for the transportation of goods and people. The joint statement highlights the two countries' financial coordination, particularly deepening efforts to increase their trade in their local currencies.

Significant Strategic Shifts

The Chinese president’s visit to Moscow had several implications elucidated in the following manner:

1.    Rejection of American unipolarity:

One of the summit's goals is to affirm a shared Sino-Russian vision for a new world order that the two countries plan to establish. The new order will restructure the current international system into a multipolar one. This was made clear at the end of Jinping's visit to Moscow when he told Putin, "Right now there are changes – the likes of which we haven't seen for 100 years – and we are the ones driving these changes together." The Russian leader responded: "I agree." This indicates the two countries' willingness to collaborate and jointly respond to Washington's efforts to perpetuate its dominance of the world order through building alliances that target the two countries. 

2.    Undermining efforts to isolate Moscow:

The visit of the Chinese president carries significant symbolic value as it demonstrates the failure of the United States and its Western allies to isolate Russia on the international stage. This is particularly noteworthy given that Western powers had managed to persuade the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine. China, being the world's second-largest economy and possessing the world's second-largest military expenditure, is interested in maintaining ties with Russia and is the third most potent military force globally. Additionally, China's decision to open its markets to Russian exports shows its indifference to Washington's threats during the initial phase of the war, where the US warned China against establishing economic ties with Russia to replace its existing links with Western nations. This move weakened the efficacy of the Western-imposed economic sanctions, which lacked international recognition. In other words, Moscow and Beijing believe that the sanctions lack legitimacy in the international arena as they were not authorized by the UN Security Council and are not binding on the international community, including China.

Furthermore, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenb, stated that the court should avoid politicization and double standards and respect the immunity of heads of state.

3.    Beijing maintaining neutrality:

Despite the allegations of China's military support for Moscow, which have not been substantiated so far, Beijing has attempted to assert its neutrality. This is evident from China's stance, the most prominent of which is that it did not sign any military agreements with Russia. Additionally, President XI did not comment on the Russian President's threat to respond in kind to London's decision to send Challenger tank rounds containing depleted uranium to Ukraine.

However, Beijing did not recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea or the four Ukrainian regions in September of last year. It believes that the United States instigated the crisis by not considering Russia's security concerns and by insisting on opening the door for Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Beijing aims to leverage its neutral stance to become a "peace-maker" between Russia and Ukraine through its peace initiative, which the Kremlin does not support. Moscow is content with confirming that Ukraine and the United States have rejected this initiative.

4.    Confirming that the Russia-China relationship is 'without limitations:

Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote an article in China's People's Daily newspaper ahead of the Chinese President's visit to Moscow Putin emphasized his country's strong ties with China, stating that Russia values its eternal friendship with China and his personal friendship with President Xi, whom he has met 40 times on several occasions. Putin accentuated the need for effective coordination between the two countries, which provides an example of harmonious and constructive cooperation between major powers. He criticized what he described as "American dictation."

Putin noted that coordination with Beijing is driven by shared economic interests, with bilateral trade growing to a record $185 billion in 2022 and expected to hit $200 billion in 2024. He also highlighted that the two countries continue to adopt economic policies that allow mutual trade in their national currencies.

On the geopolitical level, Putin stressed that the West views Russia as an "immediate threat" that should be urgently countered and China as a "strategic competitor." He believes that this means the West is not prepared to communicate with China to ensure a safer world based on harmony and avoidance of clashes between major powers. Putin also highlighted cooperation between Beijing and Moscow through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS, building blocks for a parallel economic and political system similar to the Western one. He further stressed that many countries are committed to a multipolar international system away from what he calls the "golden billion," i.e., the West.

US Reactions

Washington’s response to President Xi’s visit to Moscow took shape in two positions:

1.    United States’ rejection of China’s initiative:

The United States has rejected the Chinese peace initiative, with officials criticizing the plan and stating that a ceasefire would effectively recognize Russia's invasion of Ukraine and allow it to continue to occupy parts of the country. However, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby has emphasized that the White House wants Beijing to pressure Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, so that the initiative does not become a tactical ceasefire. This was an attempt to diplomatically condemn China, as it is unlikely to convince Putin to withdraw his troops from what he now considers to be Russian territory.

It should be noted that there is division among Western powers regarding China's peace plan. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged for communication with China and for taking its proposal seriously. He has announced that he will visit Beijing to discuss the proposal with President Xi Jinping, which is a highly significant move given that Spain will assume the rotating presidency of the European Union's Council in the second half of 2023.

 2.    Japanese messages from Washington to Beijing:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Ukraine on March 21, 2023, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Japanese foreign ministry said that Kishida would express his respect for the courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people standing up to defend their homeland under President Zelenskyy's leadership. Prime Minister Kishida, as Japan and the Chair of the G7, will directly convey Japan's solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine. Through Kishida's surprise visit to Kyiv, it was evident that Japan is being sought after as an influential power in international relations to counterbalance China's role.

In conclusion, Beijing used President Xi’s visit to reiterate its willingness to maintain its relationship with Moscow despite objections from the United States. It also sought to emphasize that it will continue efforts to establish a multipolar international system in cooperation with Russia, an effort Washington will counter by involving Japan as a counterweight against China in the Russian-Atlantic interactions. This indicates that Washington is pushing forward to escalate its conflict with both China and Russia in the coming period.