Putin visits China's 'Little Moscow' as allies continue to discuss trade

Russian President Vladimir Putin focused on trade and cultural exchanges on the second day of his state visit to China.

China’s leader Xi Jinping and Putin deepened their “no-limits” partnership as they attended a summit in the northeastern city of Harbin and met with students at Harbin Institute of Technology on Friday.

Harbin, the capital of China’s Heilongjiang province, is known as 'Little Moscow' because it was once home to many Russian expatriates and retains some of these historical ties in the city’s architecture, such as the central Saint Sophia Cathedral, a former Russian Orthodox church.

Though Putin’s visit is more symbolic and short on concrete proposals, the two countries, which both face rising tensions with the West, nonetheless appear to be sending a clear message.

On Thursday, Putin thanked Xi for China’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, while Xi said China hopes for the early return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play a constructive role toward this.

Their joint statement explicated their world view and expounded on criticism of US military alliances in Asia and the Pacific.

Russia’s Putin has become isolated globally for his invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, China has a tense relationship with the US, which has labeled it a competitor, and faces pressure for continuing to supply key components to Russia needed for weapons production.

Talks of peacefully resolving the Ukraine crisis featured frequently in Thursday’s remarks, though Russia last week just opened a new front in the Ukraine war by launching attacks at in northeastern Kharkiv area.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia has increasingly come to depend on China as Western sanctions have taken a bite.

Trade between the two countries increased to $240 billion last year, as China has helped its neighbor defray the worst of Western sanctions.

European leaders have pressed China to ask Russia to end its invasion in Ukraine, though to little avail.

Experts say China and Russia’s relationship with each other offer strategic benefits, particularly at a time when both have tensions with Europe and the US.

Xi and Putin have a longstanding agreement to visit each other’s countries once a year, and Xi was welcomed at the Kremlin last year.

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