The summit and the parade. Russia's further support for Chinese ambitions

From 31 August to 3 September Vladimir Putin resided in the PRC, where he participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SHOW) summit in Tiencin, and then made a visit to Beijing and was an honorary guest at the parade on the anniversary of the end of planet War II and Japan's surrender. During the stay, about 20 bilateral framework and method agreements were signed. A gathering of the leaders of the PRC, Russia and Mongolia took place on the margins of the summit. According to Gazprom, a "legally binding memorandum" was signed from the Chinese CNPC on the construction of a Siberia-2 gas pipeline moving from Russia through Mongolian territory to northeastern China, and an increase in supply via existing pipelines was agreed (8 billion m in total)³ Each year). However, so far the Chinese side has not confirmed any details of the gas agreements.

The summit was a political demonstration against the US and the West. He showed the effects of a twelve years of szOW expansion. From the Chinese-Russian control task of Asia, the Central Organisation was transformed into another platform to gather support for the superpowered ambitions of the PRC. Moscow has besides de facto full supported the Chinese imagination of a planet order redevelopment which it considers to be a common order and besides recognised Beijing's aspirations to lead the Global South states. In return, it gained further political support and prospects for deepening political and economical cooperation, including a general promise of an chance to increase exports of natural gas to China.

Comment

• At the summit of SZOV, with the support of Russia, the PRC carried out a poorly veiled attack on the US and their alliance system. At the Xi Jinping meeting, he announced "The initiative for global governance" to argue "cold-war mentality, hegemonism and protectionism" by "observing sovereign equality of states, global legal order, or practicing actual multilateralism". In the same vein, the "Tiencin Declaration of the Board of Heads of the SCHOOD States" was announced at the summit. A number of agreements to be implemented under the ‘SHOG improvement strategy by 2035’ were besides adopted at the Chinese initiative. Priorities are strengthening regional security, combating terrorism and extremism and promoting economical integration – focusing on transport, energy and information technologies. According to Wang Yi, Minister of abroad Affairs of the PRC, is simply a “ten-year plan to build a multipolar world”.
• The joint historical communicative of planet War II, attributing the triumph over the Axis states of the joint russian and the PCC fight in China, aims to justify Beijing and Moscow's claim to rebuild the global order. It is designed to delegate the global strategy created by the U.S. and their allies, depreciating their function or even denying an crucial contribution to victory. It is besides a propaganda foundation of the de facto Chinese-Russian alliance, which is simply a message to skeptical about strengthening group relations in both countries. The joint communicative on "blood shed fraternity" besides confirms the increasing propaganda coordination – many signed papers afraid media institutions' cooperation. It is besides a manifestation of the durability of the covenant and is to be a proof of the inability to break it, as any of the American establishment hopes. A huge, perfectly prepared parade enabled Beijing to present a modern military possible to the Global South to prove the success of the Chinese model of modernization.
• A visit to China allowed Putin one more time to show that Russia is not internationally isolated. The size of her delegation (including 2 deputy prime ministers, 10 ministers, heads of state corporations and business representatives) stressed the importance of relations with Beijing for Moscow. The Kremlin besides sent a camouflaged signal to Washington, hoping to gain greater U.S. concessions, worried about Russia's progressive dependence on China. It is besides beneficial for Moscow to increase relations on the Beijing–New Delhi lines (present at the summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Putin) which, in the face of fresh Indian-American tensions, allows Russia to at least temporarily reverse the negative trend in its relations with India (see. Twilight Russian-Indian strategical partnership). The invitation and placement of Kim Jong Una in second place, just outside Putin, on the list of honorary guests on the parade is simply a signal that the PRC has accepted the deepened cooperation of FR and the DPRK (see besides recital 26). Acceptance at a cost. China towards Russia's alliance with North Korea).
• Russian reports on the Siberia-2 gas pipeline make an impression of advancement in talks, while hiding the real deficiency of measurable economical benefits. Although Russia and China have signed more than 20 papers on cooperation in various areas (e.g. energy, agriculture or space research), they do not have much economical significance. Despite the unconfirmed statements by the Chinese side of Gazprom chief Alexey Miller, negotiations around the Siberia-2 Power task have most likely not moved forward. Obtaining this connection is crucial for Moscow, as China is the only recipient capable of absorbing a large volume of natural material from Western Siberian deposits that fed the European marketplace before the war (Syberian-2's strength is expected to send 50 billion m³ gas per year). If the gas pipeline was launched in the 1930s, exports of Gazprom could increase by nearly a 3rd in volume and sales to China would double. Key issues (price expression and distribution of investment costs) proceed to be discussed. The parties besides failed to agree on expanding banking cooperation (resumption of UnionPay in Russia and honouring Mir's payment cards in China). The introduction of a "test" visa-free government for all Russians from 15 September to 15 September should be considered as a affirmative motion towards Moscow (so far it has only afraid organised groups).