By Shannon Tiezzi
Ahead of the SCO summit, Xi and Putin discussed energy ties, the Ukraine crisis, and regional affairs.
On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Tajikistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, a regional multilateral gathering that includes leaders from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Before the summit proper began, Xi met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for bilateral talks.
The meeting in Dushanbe was the fourth between Xi and Putin so far this year, and the ninth since Xi took office in 2013. Xinhua pointed to the frequency of these meetings as proof of “the high level and distinctiveness of China-Russia relations.” Close ties between Xi and Putin in particular has raised speculation that China and Russia might be moving toward an alliance. The two countries have promoted their bilateral relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” and hope to work together to create a “more just” (i.e., less Western-dominated) international order.
In their meeting on Thursday, both Xi and Putin stressed China-Russia energy cooperation. In May, the two countries signed a massive natural gas deal after a decade of negotiations. Part of that deal involved the construction of the China-Russia East Route pipeline from eastern Siberia to China, a task that began on September 1. Xi thanked Putin for his personal attendance at the ground-breaking ceremony for the East Route natural gas pipeline and expressed hope for quick progress on a corresponding West Route natural gas pipeline. Putin and Xi agreed that the two countries will continue to work together on major energy cooperation projects — fulfilling China’s growing energy needs and offering Russia an alternative market as Europe continues to sanction Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
Read the full story at The Diplomat