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Smiles and Waves: What Xi Jinping Took Away From Moscow
Posted by: Alexander Gabuev | Carnegie Moscow
Posted by: Alexander Gabuev | Carnegie Moscow
The photographs of Putin and Comrade Xi sitting
together at the Victory Day parade on May 9, as well as photos of
Chinese soldier marching through Red Square, are the main symbolic
takeaways of the Chinese leader’s visit to Moscow. These are winning
images for both leaders, especially for Vladimir Putin. The presence of a
true world leader at a parade that was boycotted by the U.S. and its
allies is an important demonstration of the fact that Russia is not
internationally isolated (with all due respect to other guests, they
don’t quite rise to the level of world leaders). That’s why Xi and his
wife Peng Liyuan were assigned best seats at the event. That’s why
during his speech, Putin mentioned China’s important role in the war as
well as plans for a reciprocal visit to a parade in Beijing.
Xi can count all of these points as assets, too. It’s always good to
remind his countrymen that China is managed by a strong-willed leader
who doesn’t factor the West into his decision-making. And it’s twice as
important to demonstrate this as a purge of the communist party is
gaining ground and as the 2017 party congress relentlessly approaches.
Putin’s upcoming visit to Beijing on September 3 is no less important.
After all, the Beijing parade is also the subject of a diplomatic
battle— less visible than it was in Moscow, but by no means less
dramatic. Because the Beijing parade is being portrayed as a celebration
of the triumph over Japanese militarism, we can hardly expect Shinzo
Abe to make an appearance. And given how sensitive this issue is for
Japan’s allies, and considering Beijing’s ostentatious displays of force
in the South China Sea, the U.S. and many ASEAN member states will
think twice about participating in the Chinese festivities. So Xi also
stands to gain from an early declaration of a historical and symbolic
alliance with Putin, who is quite popular in China now.
In a situation where Russia can count the number of its strategic
allies on one hand, we can now confidently refer to China as Russia’s
“key strategic partner”—the expression used by Putin himself after the
May 8 talks. Although Beijing has other, more important partners (at
least six of them, if measured by trade), the Chinese leadership is
quite content with gradually turning Russia into China’s junior partner,
while keeping up the appearances of equality.
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