Putin visit to China

Insights from Valbona Zeneli.

Instead, the China-Russia talks point to important, longer-term changes to the world architecture.

Russia and China both see advantages in deepening their partnership but mismatches in their priorities persist. 

Putin's visit underscored China and Russia's coordination to push forward an “emerging multipolar world.”

Russia benefited from China’s successful shuttle diplomacy both in practical ways and because it fit into Moscow’s grand vision for world affairs.

For China, it is increasingly difficult to balance its support for Russia and its ties with Western trading partners.

The leaders of China and Russia defiantly stood shoulder-to-shoulder even as Chinese renewables pose major risks to the bilateral relationship. 

The Russian president joins dozens of foreign leaders at China’s Belt and Road Forum.

The proposed pipeline has astonishingly poor project economics. It might be built regardless. 

China’s recent diplomatic foray suggests that Chinese and Russian visions of an acceptable outcome of the war are not wholly aligned.