How did Putin and Trump’s visits to China compare?
While both trips are similar in terms of glitz, pageantry and platitudes, AFP examines how the two visits differ:
How were the two leaders welcomed?
Both Putin and Trump received a red carpet welcome at the airport upon their arrival in Beijing; people waving flags and shouting “welcome!” Chinese young people chanting slogans were welcomed with smiles.
Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said Trump was greeted on the tarmac by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, a “high” compared to his previous visit in 2017 when he was greeted by then-state councilor Yang Jiechi.
Putin, meanwhile, was received by a lower-ranking official, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is a member of the elite Politburo party body of the country’s 20 top leaders.
“You could argue that Wang is also a member of the Politburo with more significant authority, especially on foreign affairs,” said Lizzi Lee of the Center for China Analysis at the Asian Social Policy Institute. But he cautioned: “Who greets a leader at the podium is only roughly relevant, not an accurate indicator of how Beijing ranks the relationship.”
However, Loh said, it is also worth noting that Putin visits China more frequently than Trump, and this is the Russian leader’s 25th visit.
What was the tone of the opening speech?
Both Trump and Putin heaped praise on Xi, with the US president describing him as a “great leader” and “friend” while Putin called him a “dear friend” and lamented that “one day’s separation feels like three autumns”.
Xi struck a warmer tone towards Putin, praising an “unyielding” relationship that “promotes international fairness and justice.”
He also said China-Russia relations have entered a “new phase” of greater achievements and faster development.
The Chinese leader struck a less enthusiastic tone against Trump, saying the two sides “should be partners, not rivals” while warning him that the Taiwan issue could push the two countries into conflict.
Lee said the difference in tone was significant but “pretty consistent” with the nature of relationships.
“Bilateral relations with Russia are more predictable.”
Lee added that the language used regarding Trump is “necessarily more cautious” because U.S.-China relations are “much more important, complex and sensitive economically and geopolitically.”
What did the two leaders gain?
Putin and Xi signed a series of agreements on trade, media and energy on Wednesday.
Putin also advocated the construction of a second major natural gas pipeline from Russia to China via Mongolia, called Power of Siberia 2.
According to the Kremlin, the two leaders have reached a “basic agreement” on “the route and how it will be built”, but key details, including the timeline, have not yet been finalized.
China also expanded the visa-free policy for Russian citizens.
By comparison, Trump’s visit to Beijing last week yielded little in the way of immediate concrete announcements.
“Given how competitive and even hostile the relationship is, the Trump-Xi meeting will never realistically deliver major gains and significant breakthroughs,” Loh told AFP. he said.
“So the gains and deals were naturally always going to be modest,” Loh added.
As Trump seeks to stabilize relations with China, he said Russia wants to “pioneer already strong relations” with Beijing and “incorporate more areas of cooperation.”
Asia Society’s Lee said he would not exaggerate the lack of results from the Trump summit because preparations were rushed and more concrete results are likely to emerge in the coming days and months.
“For now, the (Trump-Xi) leadership summit seems more about setting the overall picture of the relationship and creating some political space for follow-up negotiations.”
Have relationships changed?
Analysts noted that Russia remains China’s most important strategic partner.
“The agreements and understanding reached (during this visit) reflect this,” Loh said.
Lim Tai Wei, a professor at Japan’s Soka University and an East Asia expert, said a series of visits by world leaders to Beijing this year also highlighted China’s continuing “advantageous geopolitical position.”
Lim added that these visits show that many “major powers” expect support from Beijing, as Beijing seeks to present itself as a more stable alternative to Washington.
At a state banquet in Beijing during Trump’s visit, Xi called the US-China relationship the “most important” relationship in the world.
“There is a great deal of truth in this, even as the United States and China continue to view each other with deep distrust,” Loh said.
