According to the head of the Munich Security Conference, the visit of China’s head of state Xi Jinping to Russian President Vladimir Putin is important for both statesmen. Putin wanted to show his people: “Russia is not isolated – last week he received an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court,” said Christoph Heusgen on Monday on the ntv channel. “He’s now a leper in the international community, so to speak.” The three-day state visit suits him well, especially since the war isn’t going the way Putin had imagined and the country isn’t doing well economically either.
Referring to the benefits for China’s leader and party leader and Russia’s oil and gas wealth, Heusgen said, “Russia is now a discount gas station for China. Of course, Xi appreciates that.” Xi Jinping needs Russia in system competition with the USA. Because of Russia’s self-isolation, Putin is now a junior partner for China. Xi began a three-day state visit to Russia on Monday.
China has not condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine. On the first anniversary on February 24, 2022, Beijing presented a 12-point plan for a “political solution to the Ukraine crisis”, which was largely met with disappointment in the West. Beijing is committed to a ceasefire and negotiations.
Since Friday, Putin has had an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
