By Mohamad Hojeije | Staff Writer
As tensions surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine continue to develop, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, this Monday the 20th of March. The visit came days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague indicted Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine and issued a warrant for his arrest.
The three-day-long visit sparked controversy around the world, with a lot of skepticism from Kyiv and the Western powers. The visit lasted several hours on Monday, and they reconvened later on Tuesday. Many view it as a Chinese diplomatic endorsement of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially since Xi has never spoken to Vlodomyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, since the beginning of the war. This development has strengthened the regard that the Chinese visit highlights the desire of President Xi Jinping to portray himself as a global power, and his state as a contestant to U.S. supremacy.
U.S. officials claimed that Xi’s visit to Moscow underscores the deepening relationship between Beijing and the Kremlin, and Washington responded rather unfavorably. In fact, most see it as a chance to showcase such diplomatic ties, as both presidents publicly exchanged compliments on the national economy, and referred to each other as “dear friends.” U.S. officials also believe this represents the coming of a new world order, much more autocratic, and strongly aligned against the U.S. In their joint statements, both presidents seem concerned with the creation of a “multipolar world.”
Recently, the U.S. has agreed on the AUKUS deal with Australia and the United Kingdom, which will strategically place nuclear-powered submarines in Australia, in close proximity to China. China’s efforts as a pushback on U.S. dominance come as a response to American extended influence worldwide, and now military expansion in the Indo-Pacific.
Moreover, on Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, an ally of the United States, arrived in Ukraine to hold discussions with Zelensky, underlining the fact that the conflict has caused divisions not only in Europe but in Asia as well. And amidst criticism towards Xi, diplomats, Washington and Zelensky praised Kishida for being a “fighter for
peace in the region.” As per a list released by the Kremlin, the meeting resulted in over 12 agreements aimed at enhancing collaboration in various areas such as trade, technology, and government propaganda.
In conclusion, the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin highlights the shifting global power dynamics and the increasing tension between the US and its allies versus China and Russia. In light of this development, the concrete reality is the further and prolongation of war and hostilities, rendering the question of reaching a resolution and peace in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia only more of an ambiguous and uncertain reality from which millions in Ukraine and around the world suffer from.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/22/europe/china-xi-russia-putin-talks-five-takeaways-intl-hnk -mic/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/21/putin-xi-talks-moscow-japanese-pm-to-ukra ine
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/xi-jinping-vladimir-putin-russia-china-talks-rcna75849
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/20/europe/xi-putin-china-russia-visit-monday-intl-hnk/index.h tml