Xi Just Bought Himself a Headache in Moscow
As the Chinese leader will soon discover, having sway over Vladimir Putin doesn’t necessarily mean having leverage over him.
How long can the bromance last?
Photographer: Sergei Karpukhin/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images
Xi Jinping’s powwow with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week was no summit of equals. The Chinese leader returns home in a clearly dominant position, assured that a Russia weakened by its war of aggression in Ukraine will have to rely on China for trade, technology and diplomatic support for years to come.
Yet, those fretting that Russia’s dependence on its autocratic neighbor will strengthen China’s efforts to challenge the US-led West should not panic. Chinese leaders will soon discover that keeping their strategic partnership viable and strong will be harder than it looks.