Xi shows that wants to be near Putin

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin do so that they are the best of friends.

Si took his place on Putin’s right side, the situation of an unwavering ally when their troops moved together to the Red Square as part of the Moscow Victory Day parade.

Earlier, XI called the connection between the two countries “inviolable” and added that Russia and China should be “friends of steel.”

This is the 11th visit of XI to Russia since the president in 2013, and two leaders have met more than 40 times.

Putin has already announced plans to visit China in the fall, and two leaders have even shared rare public arms even in the past.

But in this respect there is more than meets the eye.

“We see a lot of exchanges between two men and patriotic manifestations,” said Mathieu Bulia from the Center for European Politics Analysis.

“They can be friends at one end or cooperate at one end, and then tear each other at the other, and in fact being competitors in certain aspects of their relationship.

“We are surprised by symbolism. There is a lot of performance in this respect. But it is interesting to look at the true substance.”

Truth be told, President SI goes along a very thin line. Russia is an important partner for China, but Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has made it an international pair in most of the world.

Beijing should be careful that his friendship with Moscow does not insulate other future partners, especially since he is fighting the economic war with the United States.

China has been engaged in Europe for several months and has intensified its campaign after Donald Trump became US president.

Beijing sought to reflect itself as a stable alternative global partner unlike the unpredictable White House in Washington.

Earlier this week there were some signs that these diplomatic translations worked.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, exchanged reports with President SI and Chinese Prime Minister Lee Ten to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations.

The frozen block of any promising partnership was close relations in Beijing with Moscow and its economic support for Russia. China has not condemned its “old friend” for invasion and instead calls for a “crisis”.

If president Si seems to be too close to Putin, it can cause friction with Europe at a time when looking for friendship.

But the Chinese leader has another key message to send.

Trump’s initial attempts to stop the war in Ukraine made him expose his close personal relations with Putin. This pushed analysts to ask if Washington tried to introduce a wedge between Moscow and Beijing.

XI will want to make it clear Trump that this is impossible.

“Together we have to thwart all the schemes to disrupt or blow up our Amity and Trust connections,” SI wrote in the signed article for Russian media.

Russian and Chinese leaders also described Trump’s plans for the “golden dome”, which is a missile defense defense defense “deeply destabilized” and claimed it would be a weapon.

Both leaders seek to present their vision of an alternative world order before they believe it is a US hegemony.

But SI will know that while China is superpowered – Russia’s power is now limited. This is no longer a partnership equal.

The war in Ukraine weakened the Russian economy and exhausted its arsenal and the army.

Western sanctions also left Moscow much more depending on Beijing for economic survival. They strongly weakened the Kremlin on the world stage.

“Russia needs China much more than the opposite, it is true,” Bull said.

Moscow will need to “suck it”, he added.

Putin may lean toward his friend, watching the tanks rolling through the red area, and they can unite if they need.

But for bold statements, smiles, handshakes and periodic hugs, there are potential sources of disorder and disharmony that may occur in the coming years.