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China-Russia relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Putin-Xi call not expected to alter China’s balancing act with the West

  • 10 months into a grinding Ukraine war, Moscow is expected to seek more support from Beijing
  • China unlikely to pivot further towards Russia at risk of antagonising the West, experts say

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Ten months into a grinding war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is expected to seek more support from Xi Jinping during a phone call this week. Photo: AP
Shi Jiangtao
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to speak with Vladimir Putin this week, as the Russian leader seeks more support from Beijing amid the protracted invasion of Ukraine.

Citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian state news agency Tass said on Monday that the pair would talk before the end of the year.

Last week, Putin sent former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to Beijing with a personal message for Xi, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the Ukraine situation by phone with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In a speech on Sunday, Wang said that deepening its “rock-solid” strategic partnership with Russia was among China’s diplomatic priorities for next year, while also pledging to bring China’s fraught ties with the United States and its allies back on course.

But while Beijing has edged closer to Moscow since the Ukraine war began, observers said China was unlikely to alter its balance of relations between Russia and the West, as it tried to ease tensions with Washington.

Ten months into the war, Putin’s troops have suffered embarrassing battlefield setbacks while engaging in fierce fighting in eastern and southern regions of Ukraine.

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