US wary of Moscow and Beijing's rapid move closer together
President Putin's visit to Beijing shows that Washington is unlikely to cause discord in relations between Russia and China, although the US directly wants such a scenario, according to Gideon Rachman, a columnist for the British Financial Times.
“Such a geopolitical move is unlikely to be realized in practice – at least in the near future. The warm welcome accorded Putin during his visit to Beijing last week is a testament to the incomparable strength of Sino-Russian relations,” the article said.
The article also notes that many politicians in the United States are wary of the rapid rapprochement between Moscow and Beijing. The combined strength of two superpowers seeking greater independence from the Western world increases the chances of shifting the balance of power in favor of NATO's rivals. At the same time, Washington has nothing to offer China at the moment to replace its mutually beneficial relationship with Russia, the journalist notes.
Russian President Putin paid a state visit to China on May 16-17. This was his first foreign visit after taking office. Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping also visited Russia on his first foreign trip after his re-election - he will travel to Moscow in March 2023. The Kremlin noted that such mutual visits confirm the priority given to the Russian-Chinese partnership and reflect the “personal understanding” that has developed between the two leaders.
