Russia and China: understand the countries' relationship

O Curto News talked to Camila Amigo, International Analyst at the Brazil-China Council (CEBC), which explained how the relationship between Russia and China has been built and strengthened in recent years.

In 2001, the two countries signed the Treaty of Good Neighborhood and Friendly Cooperation, this served as the basis for the bilateral relationship in the century XXI.

Em 2011, the nations established a “comprehensive strategic partnership”. In 2019, the relationship was updated and the relationship went to “comprehensive strategic coordination partnership for a new era”. This year, they once again announced a closer relationship, but this time Putin e Xi Jinping They said that the bilateral partnership was greater than traditional alliances, and that the friendship between the countries was “without limits”, explains Camila.

“One point that further strengthens the Sino-Russian relationship is the personal relationship between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Since becoming China's president in 2013, Xi has met with Putin more than 40 times – more than double the number of times Xi has met with leaders of any other major
power”, highlights the expert.

This week, Xi Jinping visited Russia, for three days. It was the first time this had happened in 4 years, and the first international trip since the Chinese leader was re-elected for a third term as president of the China.

Xi Jinping arrives in Russia to meet with Putin; Find out more at Curto Flash

This is the Chinese president's first trip to Russia since the start of the confrontation with Ukraine. Find out more at Curto Flash, our selection of the main headlines of the moment.

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Importance

Russia and China are extremely important nations in the global context. A China is second largest economy in the world, Ea Russia, a ª 12, with the added bonus of having the largest territory on the planet and being one of the largest producers of energy, oil and natural gas.

In fact, energy is a very strategic point for Russia in any geopolitical scenario. “The two countries maintain a strategic and multifaceted relationship with extensive connections
military, diplomatic, economic and commercial”, explained Camila Amigo.

An example of this is the agreement to supply Russian gas to China. There is a gas pipeline that connects Russia to Siberia, and takes gas to northern China. This agreement was reached in 2014, and was defined by the international community as the “deal of the century”.

But what about the Ukrainian War?

Xi Jinping's visit to Russia also gained attention at the moment, as it takes place amid the war in Ukraine.

Even with the long-standing partnership between the Russians and Chinese, there are exceptions regarding conflicts and interests. War is one of them. China has distanced itself from Russian actions in this context, and has even declared the two countries as partners and not allies. This was a Chinese way of placing itself more “distanced” from the confrontation.

Economy

“In the economic context, it is truly a historic moment for the Sino-Russian relationship, as China appears as a counterpoint to the sanctions imposed by Western countries – which ban imports of Russian oil and exports of high-tech products to Russia. ”, explained Camila.

"China was already Russia's largest single trading partner before the war and accounted for 16% of its total foreign trade. But after the start of the war in Ukraine, trade between the two countries reached a record level of US$190 billion in 2022, a 30% increase compared to 2021. Russian imports originating in China increased 13% compared to previous year and reached US$76 billion. Russian exports to China grew 43% compared to 2021, totaling US$ 114 billion”, he recalled.

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