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Putin to Sell Off Russian Resources During Beijing Visit as Russia’s War Machine Relies Mostly on China
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Russian Leader Vladimir Putin will travel to China later this week for a four-day visit. He plans to ask Xi Jinping to boost trade with Russia, which for the first time since the start of the war has begun to decline this year.
Trade turnover between Russia and China fell by 8% in the first half of the year, raising concerns in Moscow, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on August 28.
“Ahead of the visit, officials on both sides are looking into ways to increase trade because the current numbers do not look good,” said one source involved in preparing Putin’s visit. Another source noted that discussions would likely include increasing Chinese imports of Russian energy resources and agricultural products.
According to Reuters, China provides the lion’s share of Russia’s export revenues, while its technologies are critically important for Russia’s defense industry, emphasized a source close to the government: “Without them, we would not have been able to make a single missile, let alone a drone, and the whole economy would have collapsed long ago.”
“If they wanted it, the war would have been over long ago,” he added.
In exchange for raw materials, China supplies Russia with consumer goods, filling store shelves after the withdrawal of Western brands. But this flow is also shrinking: Chinese exports of smartphones and computers to Russia fell by 27.5% between January and July, while car deliveries almost halved.
“China does not behave like an ally,” complained a Reuters source close to the government. “Sometimes it lets us down and stops payments, sometimes it takes advantage, sometimes it's outright robbery, there is nothing allied about it.” At the same time, Moscow acknowledges its dependence on Beijing, the sources stressed.
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During Putin’s visit, discussions are also expected to touch on the “Power of Siberia-2” gas pipeline, which the Kremlin has unsuccessfully tried to push onto China for the past 10 years. Talks may also cover Russian winter wheat exports, which Beijing has so far refused to allow into its market.
Earlier, China dismissed media claims that it was weighing involvement in an international peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
Speaking on August 25, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told that “these reports are not consistent with reality” and stressed that Beijing’s stance on Ukraine “remains consistent and clear.”
