Putin meets Xi for second time since may as leaders hail ties

President Vladimir Putin trumpeted Russia’s “fully-fledged partnership” with China as he met Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the second time in less than two months, highlighting Moscow’s deepening embrace of Beijing.

Russo-Chinese ties “are at their best in history,” Putin said at a meeting on the sidelines of a security summit on Wednesday in Astana, Kazakhstan. “They’re built on equality, mutual benefit and respect for each other’s sovereignty.”

“My dear friend, I am very happy at our new meeting,” Xi said.

Since Xi and Putin last sat down in May, the Russian leader has been strengthening his partnerships around Asia. Putin made his first trip to North Korea in 24 years last month, where he signed an agreement with Kim Jong Un to come to each other’s aid if attacked. Kim also pledged to “unconditionally support” Russia in its war on Ukraine.

Putin followed that with a visit to Vietnam, where he said Moscow was considering changing its nuclear doctrine in response to talks in the West about “lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.” Russia recently held combat drills to practice the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

The Russian leader’s threats to use nuclear weapons since his February 2022 invasion of his neighbor have drawn condemnation from the U.S. and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. Xi, too, has warned against resorting to nuclear weapons.

China and Russia have united in a mission to counter the U.S., as both nations face growing scrutiny from the West over their military goals. Their leaders have responded by pushing to broaden groups in which they have more sway. The BRICS bloc of emerging-market nations doubled this year, welcoming Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit is expected to see Belarus become the 10th member of the regional grouping set up by China, the SCO’s Secretary-General Zhang Ming told Chinese media outlets Monday. Iran joined last year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed interest in joining the bloc and met Putin earlier on Wednesday at the summit.

Erdogan invited Putin to Turkey and said that Ankara is ready to assist talks over ending the war in Ukraine. The Turkish leader told his Russian counterpart that “a fair peace that can satisfy both sides is possible,” a Turkish government statement said.

The meeting between the two leaders was the first since Turkey approved Sweden’s entry into NATO earlier this year, a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and comes ahead of Erdogan’s participation in a summit of the alliance’s leaders in Washington next week.

Xi stressed the importance for Global South nations to exert greater influence on international affairs at an event in Beijing last week. Developing nations “need to work together to be a stabilizing force for peace,” he said.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in a regular briefing Monday that the SCO had “become a fine example of a new type of international relations and regional cooperation.” Beijing hopes the summit will “contribute to the security, stability, development and prosperity of all countries,” she added.

China will take over the SCO’s rotating presidency after the summit in Astana. Xi will also visit Tajikistan this week.

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(With assistance from Henry Meyer, Selcan Hacaoglu and Firat Kozok.)