BEIJING: Ten years after toasting a budding friendship with vodka and cake, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin will meet again in Beijing this week seeking to further deepen the “no-limits” partnership between their two countries.
The two presidents share a strong personal bond, with Xi calling his Russian counterpart his “best friend” and Putin cherishing his “reliable partner.”
Their relationship has been a constant despite a decade of increasingly difficult relations with Western countries — exemplified by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn.
Putin’s attendance at a leaders forum in the Chinese capital this week is not only a rare foreign trip for the Russian leader, but also an opportunity to pay homage to Xi’s signature Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
“(The) Russian delegation’s presence in Beijing is important for Moscow,” said Alicja Bachulska, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“It will legitimize Russia in the international arena by creating a positive image of Putin not being completely isolated in the context of war,” she told AFP.
Xi and Putin forged their friendship when the pair shared cake and vodka shots to mark the Russian leader’s birthday at a summit in Indonesia in 2013.
They have since drawn closer, with Xi whisking Putin away on a high-speed train ride across China to make traditional steamed buns in 2018.
Putin later returned the favor with caviar-topped pancakes and a river cruise on Xi’s subsequent visits to Russia.
In 2019, the Russian leader even threw Xi a birthday bash of his own, surprising him with ice cream at a conference in Tajikistan.
The two men’s lives share several similarities — they were born just a few months apart in the early 1950s and have both fathered daughters.
They are products of two socialist giants, with Xi the scion of a family of Communist revolutionaries and Putin a former Soviet intelligence officer.
Both are haunted by the collapse of the USSR — for Putin, a “major geopolitical disaster” and for Xi, a cautionary tale for China’s own Communist Party.
And both have invoked themes of national revitalization while suppressing dissent during their long and increasingly unchallenged years in power.
Mirroring their leaders’ ties, Beijing and Moscow have also huddled closer in recent years, viewing each other as a counterbalance against the US-led West.
The two countries describe their relationship as a “comprehensive strategic partnership” that has “no limits” on potential cooperation.
Their amity has endured despite Russia’s frontal assault on Ukraine since last year, thrusting Moscow and Putin into international isolation.
Beijing has resisted calls to condemn the invasion and depicted itself as a neutral party, stopping short of providing weapons for Moscow.
But it has echoed Russia in blaming Western countries — especially the NATO defense alliance — for creating the conditions for the war’s outbreak.
Joe Webster, an expert on China-Russia relations at the Atlantic Council, described Beijing’s stance on the war as “pro-Russia neutrality.”
That has involved crucial diplomatic, economic and non-lethal military assistance for Moscow against a background of booming bilateral trade, he said.
But he added that the aborted mutiny by Russian mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin this summer “shocked Beijing and led it to recalibrate relations with Moscow.”
The threat of Putin’s ouster means “Beijing (now) seeks to depersonalize the relationship and institutionalize ties between the two political systems... to ensure close ties with Russia regardless of who occupies the power vertical,” Webster said.
The subtle shift in rhetoric illuminates the lopsided nature of the China-Russia relationship — one that sees Moscow increasingly relying on its neighbor to prop up its economy and help sustain its war machine.
“Since Moscow embarked on its all-out invasion of Ukraine, it has been put in a position where it is unprecedentedly dependent on China,” said Bjorn Alexander Duben, an international relations scholar at China’s Jilin University.
“(Russia’s) continued economic engagement with China is gradually turning into a relationship of direct dependence — raising the question whether Russia is steering toward a client relationship with Beijing,” he said.
Analysts said that Putin’s sojourn in the Chinese capital was more focused on shoring up political support than securing big-ticket deals like the much-touted Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline.
“We might see results in the coming (months and) years with infrastructure projects being realized, but I don’t expect any kind of significant big deliverables this time,” said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
“China holds all of these cards. Russia would desperately want to have an announced deal, but China has leverage and can dictate the pace,” he said.
Xi, Putin to freshen decade-long friendship at Beijing summit
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Xi, Putin to freshen decade-long friendship at Beijing summit
UK has ‘unique opportunity’ to bolster Gulf relations, forum told
- House of Lords hosts high-level Emirati delegation
- Former UK minister Liam Fox: ‘I think we have a unique historic opportunity … to help shape this part of the world’
LONDON: Top business leaders, researchers and politicians have called on the UK to bolster business and cultural ties with the Gulf.
The appeal came during a high-level discussion on evolving dynamics between the UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council at the House of Lords in London on Dec. 11.
An Emirati delegation led by Dr. Mohammed Al-Ali, CEO of Trends Advisory, discussed politics, counter-extremism and security within the UAE and wider Gulf.
The forum was moderated by Lady Olga Maitland, security expert and former MP, and featured comments from Al-Ali; Liam Fox, former UK defense minister; Syrian journalist Ghassan Ibrahim; former Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski; Conservative Middle East Council Director Charlotte Leslie; and David Abrahams, former vice president of the Royal United Services Institute, among others.
Trade between the UK and the GCC has been valued at about $78 billion, according to this year’s figures. The two sides have held talks on a free trade agreement for a number of years.
Fox described Britain’s relationship with the Gulf bloc as “one of the most important trading relationships.”
He said: “I think there are reasons to be optimistic in the region. I think there are reasons to look at the building blocks that are there, to look at the quality of the leadership in the region and say, if we’ve ever had a chance to do something different, if we’ve ever had a chance to break away and not be prisoners of our history, that’s where we are now.”
But, Fox added: “History is littered with examples of when windows of opportunity opened and then closed before anyone had the willingness, the courage and the leadership to do it.
“I think we have a unique historic opportunity in maybe just the coming months, but the coming period, to help shape this part of the world, in a way that’s not impossible, and that’s the real challenge.”
Al-Ali hailed the “widespread presence” of Anglophone culture in the UAE and wider Gulf, including British educational institutions.
These “foster strong cultural ties and strengthen connections,” he added.
The Trends Advisory CEO called for the launch of a strategic council to push through the long-awaited UK-GCC free trade agreement.
Leslie hailed the Gulf’s experience in “bringing people together” in a world that is “ever more polarized.”
The UK could draw on Gulf experience developing counter-extremist organizations, she said.
Kawczynski, who took nine delegations to Riyadh during his time as an MP, singled out Saudi Arabia for particular praise.
“I’m very pleased that Keir Starmer, the prime minister, has been to Saudi Arabia this week … and I’m very pleased that parliamentarians across all political parties are starting to realize the importance of Saudi and the GCC,” he said.
The former MP added that he was “blown away” by the “sheer scale of Emirati investment” in London, and highlighted the importance of building economic interdependence between the UK and the Gulf.
Ibrahim, who heads the Global Arab Network, hailed Al-Ali’s visit as a “testament to the strength and importance of relations between the UAE and UK, as well as the rest of the GCC.”
Venezuela builds infrastructure in fragile ecosystems
VENEZUELA: A push by Venezuela to attract tourists and boost its flailing economy by building infrastructure including runways and hotels is doing environmental damage to ecologically delicate areas, especially fragile Caribbean coral reefs already threatened by climate change, conservationists, scientists, government sources and locals say.
The government of President Nicolas Maduro, who blames US sanctions for his country’s economic crisis, has called tourism the economy’s “secret weapon.”
The push has so far failed to attract foreign investors, sources say, despite a Tourism Ministry meeting with French businesspeople and public overtures from Maduro to investors as recently as this month.
But the infrastructure effort is already drawing criticism from biologists, activists and locals, with one conservation group alleging at least one major infrastructure project is illegal.
The runway at the main airport serving Los Roques National Park — an archipelago of 45 islands, cays and crystalline waters spread over 550,000 acres in the Caribbean and recognized by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands — was expanded to 1,300 meters this year from 800 meters, allowing larger planes to land.
The extension destroyed coral, mangroves and a nesting beach for the critically endangered Eretmochelys imbricata turtle, covering it with asphalt and rocks, “among other disturbances that will affect the natural resources of the park,” the Venezuelan Ecological Society said in a report.
Maduro, who has also promoted foreign investment in a project to construct 10 hotels on the nearly virgin La Tortuga Island, says his plans respect the environment.
“Important investors from all over are coming, many from the Arab world, many from Turkey, many from Iran, from China, from India, from Brazil to invest in tourism,” he said on state television in November, hailing “the growth of hotels, guesthouses and tourist services across the country.”
Egypt’s El-Sisi discusses Gaza ‘suffering’ on Dublin visit
- El-Sisi praised Dublin’s “courageous positions" in support of the Palestinian cause
DUBLIN: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met his Irish counterpart Michael Higgins and prime minister Simon Harris Wednesday for talks on the war in Gaza and boosting bilateral ties.
The two heads of state discussed the Middle East situation, including the political upheaval in Syria, according to a statement from Higgins’s office.
“The outrageous suffering in the absence of a ceasefire in Gaza was the central part of their discussion,” the statement added.
There had also been “agreement on the need to expand international recognition of the Palestinian state,” said Egyptian presidential spokesman Mohamed Al-Shenawy.
Ireland is among several European countries which in May formally recognized the State of Palestine, drawing anger from Israel.
El-Sisi praised Dublin’s “courageous positions in support of the Palestinian cause,” Shenawy added in a statement.
Eight Gazan children and their families, currently in Cairo, will soon be medically evacuated to Ireland, the Irish statement said.
El-Sisi later held a working lunch with Harris, who said before the meeting that he would raise the case of an Irish mother whose children have been kept by their father in Egypt since 2022.
The Dublin visit was the final leg of a European tour by El-Sisi that included stops in Norway and Denmark.
It marked the first trip to Ireland by an Egyptian president since Hosni Mubarak visited in 2006.
Indian state explores strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia in mining, food security
- Kingdom keen on attracting Rajasthani talent in technology, healthcare, engineering
- Saudi Arabia sent the largest delegation to Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit
JAIPUR: The Indian state of Rajasthan is preparing for new collaborations with Saudi Arabia, its industry and commerce minister said, following meetings with the Kingdom’s delegation to the region’s first international investment summit in Jaipur.
India’s largest state by area hosted the first Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit this week to draw foreign cooperation, as it seeks to double its gross domestic product to $350 billion in the next five years.
Representatives from over 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK, Australia, Japan and Russia, were present during the three-day event that concluded on Wednesday.
The Saudi Ministry of Investment, which set up an Invest Saudi pavilion at the forum, brought 16 delegates for prospective cooperation talks with Indian businesses.
“It was the biggest delegation. I must thank the Saudi Arabian government for this initiative,” Rajasthan Industry Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore told Arab News after a meeting with Saudi delegates on Tuesday evening.
“I see the partnership between the two nations growing stronger. As it is very strong politically, I think even in terms of business, we can move much closer … We had a wonderful interaction. They have already begun to show their interest in mining.”
Rajasthan, with its expansive desert landscapes hosting numerous photovoltaic plants, leads India in solar energy production. The state is also the top producer of marble, home to the country’s largest lead mines, and holds rich deposits of copper and rare-earth elements.
“It’s one of the best places to invest in India … There are multiple sectors that Saudi companies could be interested in,” Rathore said.
“We have a lot of land, we have a lot of sun, and we have multiple sectors, including minerals, mining, renewable energy, petrochemical, logistics, infrastructure, education, agro-based products — innumerable (sectors).”
Cooperation in the hospitality industry was also on the table. Rajasthan has nine sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, including Jaipur city, six forts built between the fifth and 18th centuries, and Keoladeo National Park, which hosts thousands of native, resident and migratory birds.
“We have discussed if multiple hotels can be set up because tourism is quite big,” Rathore said. “We also discussed the possibility of a Saudi company investing in a luxury train.”
Abdullah Al-Arfaj, director of international relations for South and West Asia at the Saudi Ministry of Investment, told Arab News after talks with the industry minister that discussions “centered around key areas such as agriculture, food security, mining, healthcare, education, and human resources.”
Cooperation in agriculture would focus on innovative practices and establishing reliable supply chains, while in mining it would “develop Rajasthan’s mineral wealth, utilizing Saudi expertise in mining and resource management,” he said, adding that the Kingdom was also keen on attracting top talent from Rajasthan to the sectors of technology, healthcare and engineering.
“These collaborative areas align with our shared priorities and present significant opportunities for long-term economic and social impact,” Al-Arfaj said.
“We explored opportunities to leverage Rajasthan’s strengths in these sectors while aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals to promote economic diversification and sustainable development.”
Russia vows retaliation after Ukrainian ATACMS strike
- Putin has previously threatened to launch a hypersonic ballistic missile at the center of Kyiv if Ukraine did not halt its attacks on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles
- One US official said Wednesday that Russia might soon target Ukraine with another of its new Oreshnik missiles
MOSCOW: Russia on Wednesday vowed retribution against Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of firing Western-supplied missiles on a military airfield in its southern Rostov region.
President Vladimir Putin has previously threatened to launch a hypersonic ballistic missile at the center of Kyiv if Ukraine did not halt its attacks on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
And one US official said Wednesday that Russia might soon target Ukraine with another of its new Oreshnik missiles.
Hours after Ukraine’s overnight attack, Russia claimed its troops had recaptured territory in its western Kursk region, where Ukraine occupies swathes of territory.
And Putin told Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban that Kyiv’s “destructive” approach made a peace deal impossible.
Kyiv has been on edge since Russia fired its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile at the city of Dnipro last month in a major escalation of the nearly three-year conflict.
Putin called that retaliation for Kyiv firing US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow long-range missiles against targets on Russian territory.
In the latest attack, Russia’s defense ministry said Wednesday that Ukraine fired six ATACMS missiles at a military airfield in Taganrog, a port city in the southern Rostov region.
“Two of the missiles were shot down by the combat crew of the Pantsir air defense system, while the others were deflected by electronic warfare equipment,” the ministry added.
It said no military personnel were hurt but that falling shrapnel “slightly damaged” military vehicles and buildings nearby.
“This attack by Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered and appropriate measures will be taken,” it added.
And one US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday: “Russia has signalled its intent to launch another experimental Oreshnik missile at Ukraine, potentially in the coming days.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier hailed “tangible blows against Russian targets last night,” which he said would help bring peace closer.
In a post on Telegram he said Ukraine had hit “military facilities on the territory of Russia, as well as facilities of the fuel and energy complex, which is working for aggression against our state and people.”
Ukraine’s general staff earlier claimed it had hit an oil depot in Russia’s Bryansk border region, also in an overnight strike.
Videos purportedly taken in the Bryansk region showed a distant fireball illuminating the night sky over an urban area, while air raid sirens could be heard in footage from the southern Rostov region.
Both sides have ramped up aerial attacks in recent weeks, seeking to boost their positions on the battlefield ahead as ceasefire talks build ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump coming to power next month.
Ukrainian officials said Wednesday the death toll from a Russian missile strike on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia a day earlier had climbed to nine.
And Russia’s army said it had recaptured two villages in the western Kursk region, where Kyiv has been waging a cross-border offensive since August.
Hungary’s Orban, who met Trump in Florida earlier this week, held a call with Putin on Wednesday to discuss the Ukraine conflict, drawing scorn from Kyiv.
During the call — which was requested by Orban — Putin said that Ukraine had adopted a “destructive” position that ruled out any agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
The Kremlin said Orban had “expressed interest in assisting the joint search for political-diplomatic paths to resolve the crisis.”
Zelensky blasted Orban for talking to the Kremlin leader, saying it risked undermining European unity against Russia.
“No one should boost (their) personal image at the expense of unity, everyone should focus on shared success. Unity in Europe has always been key to achieving it,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
