Hours after a Donald Trump’s inauguration, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a video call, pledging to elevate bilateral ties to unprecedented heights. But what are the possible implications of this video call meeting and it’s effect on US-Russia relations.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin’s Video Call
On the video call, Putin had called Xi a “dear friend”, adding that Russia and China were building bilateral ties “on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support” despite external pressure.
Xi called on Putin to “continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding legitimate interests”.
This development had come after President Trump had on Tuesday threatened 10% tariffs on Beijing, calling it “an abuser”, and warned that “big trouble” will descend on Moscow if it does not strike a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
The video call lasted about one-and-a-half hours, during which Putin and Xi also discussed the situations in the Middle East, South Korea and Taiwan, according to foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.
China-Russia Relations After Trump’s Inauguration
According to Ushakov, Putin further told Xi, however, that any Ukraine settlement “must respect Russian interests”.
Beijing has been accused of aiding to build Moscow’s war machine by providing it with critical components for the conflict in Ukraine.
Trade relations between China and Russia reached a record $240bn (£191bn) in 2023, up more than 64% since 2021 – before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Ushakov, however, clarified that the call was “not connected with Trump’s inauguration in any way”.
Chinese state media have said Xi also expressed readiness to work with Putin in response to “external uncertainties”, but the specifics weren’t mentioned.
At the time of filing this report, Putin has yet to speak with President Trump, but he did congratulated him on state television hours before the his inauguration.
Conclusion
The video call between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin is no doubt, made to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries. However, when you consider Putin’s approach to Trump’s inauguration – congratulating the US president on state television instead of personally– it hints at a calculated approach to maintain relations with the U.S.
