Putin and Xi Close Ranks Against the West on Ukraine and Taiwan

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping closed ranks against the U.S. and its allies on key security issues as they declared that there’s no limit and “no forbidden zones” in the friendship between Russia and China.

At their first in-person meeting in more than two years Friday, Putin and Xi said in a joint statement that China “treats with understanding and supports” Russia’s demand for binding security guarantees from the U.S. and NATO in the standoff over Ukraine, and backs Moscow in opposing expansion of the Western military alliance.

Russia endorsed China’s policy on Taiwan, saying it opposed Taiwanese independence “in any form.” The two powers also said they were “seriously concerned” about the AUKUS security partnership formed by the U.S., Australia and the U.K., warning of the risk of an arms race in the Asia-Pacific region.

The summit meeting lasting almost four hours in Beijing was a conveniently timed show of solidarity on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics and the Russian leader used the occasion to court his increasingly powerful neighbor to help offset the U.S.’s alliance network. The 38th one-on-one exchange between the two long-tenured authoritarian leaders took place amid U.S. and European warnings of punishing sanctions if Russia invades neighboring Ukraine, something Moscow insists it isn’t planning to do.

With growing political, military and economic frictions between China and the U.S, both Moscow and Beijing see an advantage in drawing closer together on the world stage.

Putin is easily the most high-profile among the 21 world leaders attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Games, with Australia, Canada and the U.K. joining the U.S.’s “diplomatic boycott” over China’s human rights record. Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of seeking to politicize the global sporting event, while using Putin’s visit to tout closer ties with Moscow.

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