The arrival of Xi Jinping in Moscow on March 20 was the occasion for a long staging of forty-eight hours to show the rest of the world the solidity of Russian-Chinese cooperation. The two leaders, who had already declared in 2022, in a press release, their “boundless friendship” reaffirmed that they shared the same vision of the world, that of an American hegemony that must be overthrown.
This meeting was an opportunity for Xi Jinping to support Vladimir Putin, who has been ostracized from international relations since the invasion of Ukraine and even more so now that the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against him on March 17.
What do China and Russia actually want? Can Beijing play a role in settling the conflict in Ukraine? What are the limits of the friendship between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin?
In this episode of the “L’Heure du Monde” podcast, Frédéric Lemaître, correspondent for the World in Beijing, reviews the history of the relationship between China and Russia and the ambitions of this agreement.
An episode by Garance Muñoz and Cyrielle Bedu. Direction and music: Amandine Robillard. Presentation and editor-in-chief: Morgane Tual. In this episode: Speeches by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 20-21, 2023.
“The Hour of the World”
“L’Heure du Monde” is the daily news podcast of the World. Listen every day, from 6 a.m., to a new episode, on Lemonde.fr or on Spotify. Find all the episodes here.
Learn more about the relationship between China and Russia:
- Narrative. In Moscow, Xi Jinping wants Vladimir Putin to stay in power beyond 2024
- Analysis. China: Xi Jinping’s global ambitions
Editorial. “The famous “friendship without limits” decreed by Putin and Xi has found its limits, and they do not play for Russia”
- Grandstand. Antoine Bondaz, sinologist: “China is not and will not be the mediator of the war in Ukraine”
Also listen China: Xi Jinping against the West