WEBVTT - Wilkins on Xi Putin Meeting (Audio)

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<v Speaker 1>Jules eight minutes here before the top of the our

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<v Speaker 1>Chinese president Shi Jinping is re emerging this week alongside

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<v Speaker 1>Russia's President Vladimir Putin. They will have a meeting on

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<v Speaker 1>Thursday that will be the first time they sat down

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<v Speaker 1>together since Russia invaded Ukraine. Joining US Now is Rebecca

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<v Speaker 1>shown Wilkins, Bloomberg's Asia Government and Politics correspondent. Well, it's

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<v Speaker 1>a pretty interesting time, and I think you'd have to say,

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<v Speaker 1>Rebecca that given the losses that we've seen of late

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<v Speaker 1>by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, that this could give Si

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<v Speaker 1>Jumping the upper hand. What does Shi Jinping want from

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<v Speaker 1>Vladimir Putin? Well, I think the big sort of goal

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<v Speaker 1>from from this type of trip. On the one hand,

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<v Speaker 1>it does seem to sort of be this victory lap

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<v Speaker 1>for sejim Ping ahead of Congress um and a return

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<v Speaker 1>to the global stage. But on the other he does

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<v Speaker 1>seem very keen with projecting his image of an alternative

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<v Speaker 1>world order, and of course Putin very much and Russia

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<v Speaker 1>support very much feeds into that idea. And we've seen

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<v Speaker 1>both comments from Moscow and Beijing sort of apping upping

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<v Speaker 1>the anti on this type of rhetoric around combating the hedgemony,

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<v Speaker 1>count acting as a counterweight to NATO for example, and

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<v Speaker 1>creating this multipolar context. And of course it's those this

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<v Speaker 1>this seeds In Ping and and Vladimer Putin meeting will

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<v Speaker 1>be the centerpiece. I think of this visit is important

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<v Speaker 1>to to understand as well. This is all happening in

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<v Speaker 1>Central Asia where Seedimping, you know, almost nine years to

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<v Speaker 1>the day launched that landmark piece of foreign policy, his

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<v Speaker 1>Belt and Road initiative, mean nine years ago. So again

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<v Speaker 1>we are seeing very much he Jimping coming to lay

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<v Speaker 1>out not just to this sort of clear tilt towards Russia,

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<v Speaker 1>but this much more global vision that he has just

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<v Speaker 1>ahead of that Congress, that issue can mentioned, which is

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<v Speaker 1>coming up mid next month, and we read that Vladimir

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<v Speaker 1>Putin could seek to push through an agreement on the

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<v Speaker 1>power of Siberia too. That's a gas pipeline that would

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<v Speaker 1>carry Russian gas to China. What is the current status

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<v Speaker 1>of that, Yes, indeed, I think that is a big

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<v Speaker 1>question mark. I mean, Russia exports to China have jumped

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<v Speaker 1>nearly fifty percent to forty one billion dollars in the

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<v Speaker 1>first five months of this year. So we have seen

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<v Speaker 1>ties trade ties, certainly between Moscow and Beijing grow this year.

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<v Speaker 1>When it comes to energy in particular, clearly China is

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<v Speaker 1>leaning on Russia to source more of its coal imports

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<v Speaker 1>for example about this year, but saying that, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>China still does primarily rely on on its local minds

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<v Speaker 1>to to supply its coal, and so there is certainly

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<v Speaker 1>a very asymmetric relationship here, even as Russia clearly is

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<v Speaker 1>likely to push for more support from China um and

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<v Speaker 1>obtain more industrial, more technological imports to help fill the

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<v Speaker 1>whole and that void of Western goods because of sanctions.

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<v Speaker 1>On the other side of the coin, we have seen

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<v Speaker 1>plenty of calls from Chinese officials and calls in China

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<v Speaker 1>for Russia to do more to protect civilians in Ukraine.

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<v Speaker 1>Is there any chance that we would see a strong

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<v Speaker 1>pushback from Hi Jimping? I mean, what are we hearing

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<v Speaker 1>about some sort of pushback on the aggressive nature of

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<v Speaker 1>Russia in Ukraine? Well on the whole. Although we have

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<v Speaker 1>seen some of those quite carefully placed comments on you know, repeating,

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<v Speaker 1>I think mainly comments made in the past for compromise

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<v Speaker 1>and for peaceful negotiations and more peaceful resolution. UM. I

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<v Speaker 1>think you know, we from some of China sort of

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<v Speaker 1>top leaders that's number three official for example, UM, it's

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<v Speaker 1>top diplomat, we have seen more sort of comments along

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<v Speaker 1>that promote sort of Russia that and supposedly seemed to

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<v Speaker 1>support and back Russia. UM. I will say it is

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<v Speaker 1>important to note that China itself, in its state media

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<v Speaker 1>and it's sort of readouts from from diplomatic interactions, hasn't

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<v Speaker 1>made that many explicit comments on its willingness to assist

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<v Speaker 1>and specifically is that word assist Ukraine, although Russian readouts have, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it hasn't because it seems that the larger goal is

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<v Speaker 1>that the two stand together countering the West absolutely, and

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<v Speaker 1>I think that is the broader goal here, and and

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<v Speaker 1>China itself, of course, will be very carefully treading this

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<v Speaker 1>line between on the one hand, wanting to support that

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<v Speaker 1>counterweight to the West account way ultimately to a US

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<v Speaker 1>lad world order, but on the other steering very are

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<v Speaker 1>of anything that could risk um invoking sanctions. And if

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<v Speaker 1>you kind of look at the actions that China took

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<v Speaker 1>initially at the outset of the war, they were quite

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<v Speaker 1>careful to sort of severe some some of its links

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<v Speaker 1>and some of its economic links with Russia. So we

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<v Speaker 1>have seen this very delicate balance. Yeah, it is all right, Rebecca.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks very much for your insights, Rebecca. John Wilkins, Bloomberg Asia,

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<v Speaker 1>Government and Politics corresponded