Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Moscow for his third visit to Russia in the last five years. Stephen Nagy, a professor at International Christian University, told TaiwanPlus News that Xi would look to offset the trade tensions with the U.S. by reaching deals with Russia on energy and agricultural products.
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00:00Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Russia celebrates Victory Day.
00:08Upon arrival, Russian state media published an article where Xi thanked Russia for its long-standing friendship
00:13and for supporting what he called the unstoppable reunification of Taiwan with China.
00:19The Kremlin says the two leaders will talk about the war in Ukraine, tensions with the U.S., and energy cooperation.
00:25China is the biggest buyer of Russian oil, a major source of support for Moscow as it faces tough Western sanctions.
00:35For more on what Xi's trip might mean for Beijing and Moscow, Adele Brars spoke to Stephen Nagy from the International Christian University in Tokyo.
00:44What's the significance of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia?
00:49Xi Jinping's visit to Russia is to demonstrate his support for Vladimir Putin and, of course, Russia as it celebrates its victory in World War II
01:01against how the Russians understand their role fighting against the Nazis.
01:05But it comes at a broader timing in which increasing pressure by the United States and Donald Trump through the trade war
01:12is making things very difficult for the Chinese economy and the leadership in Beijing.
01:18By heading to Moscow and participating, at least as an observer, in the celebratory events,
01:25it sends a message to Washington that the Chinese can tilt towards the Russians, they can deepen their relationship,
01:34and this could complicate the United States foreign policy broader in the Indo-Pacific and in the context of Taiwan.
01:40Media reports suggest China and Russia may sign new bilateral agreements.
01:45In which sectors are they expected to make deals?
01:48Well, I think they're going to continue to try and work together on energy imported exports,
01:54and that means China's going to try to seek cheaper, more reliable energy from Russia.
01:59It is the closest source of reliable energy, and I think that China understands that it's in a strong position vis-a-vis Russia.
02:07Second, I think that China may look to Russia in terms of agricultural imports.
02:14As the exports from the United States into China now have tariffs,
02:19it will be increasingly important that China finds alternative food resources.
02:25You know, China does have food security challenges, and it's a major importer of beef, pork, chicken, soybeans.
02:33Given Russia's heightened military activity in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea,
02:38are China and Russia likely to escalate their military posturing in the region?
02:42I think the long-term trajectory, especially if the United States continues to put pressure both on Russia and China,
02:48is that Moscow and Beijing are going to try to find ways to coordinate and cooperate in the Indo-Pacific region,
02:55in particular the region in and around Taiwan, and the South China Sea.
03:00But I do think there's real limitations of how much the Russians would like to cooperate within this region.
03:05You know, the reality is that they're already struggling to deal with Ukraine conflict,
03:09and they haven't been able to put an end to the war despite Ukraine being a much smaller country
03:17with much smaller numbers of fighting men and women.
03:23To have resources being diverted to the Indo-Pacific region,
03:28whether it's in and around Taiwan or the South China Sea,
03:31may test the limits of Russia's security interests
03:35and its capabilities to invest resources in two theatres at once.
03:41That was Stephen Nagy of International Christian University.