Shows that he wants to be close to Putin

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, make it look like they are the best friends.

It took its place on the right side of Putin, the position of an unwavering ally, as their troops marched together on Red Square as part of the parade of Moscow’s Victory Day.

Hours earlier, the XI described the relationship between the two countries as “unbreakable” and added that Russia and China should be “friends of steel”.

This is the 11th visit to the XI to Russia since I became president in 2013, and the two leaders have met more than 40 times.

Putin has already announced plans to visit China in the fall, and the two leaders have even shared a rare public embrace in the past.

But there is more than this connection than the eye meets.

“We see a lot of exchanges between the two men and the patriotic manifestations of cohesion,” says Matyo Buguway of the European Policy Analysis Center.

“They can be friends at one end or cooperate at one end and then tear each other to each other and actually be competitors in certain aspects of their relationship.

“We are surprised by the symbolism. There is a lot of presentation around this connection. But it is interesting to look at the true substance.”

In fact, the president is going on a very fine line. Russia is an important partner for China, but Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has made it an international pave in much of the world.

Beijing should be careful that his friendship with Moscow does not isolate other future partners, especially since he is waging an economic war with the United States.

China has been courting Europe for several months and has intensified its campaign after Donald Trump became president of the United States.

Beijing is willing to present itself as a stable alternative global partner, as opposed to unpredictable White House in Washington.

Earlier this week, there were some signs that these diplomatic overtures were working.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, exchanged messages on Tuesday with their president and Chinese Prime Minister Li Kiang to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations.

The obstacles of any future partnership are Beijing’s close relations with Moscow and his economic support for Russia. China has not condemned its “old friend” for the invasion and instead calls for the termination of the “crisis”.

If the president seems to be too close to Putin, this can cause rubbing with Europe at a time he is looking for a friendship.

But the Chinese leader has another key message to send.

Trump’s initial attempts to end the war in Ukraine made him extract his close personal relationships with Putin. This prompted analysts to ask if Washington was trying to run a wedge between Moscow and Beijing.

XI will want to clarify Trump that this is not possible.

“Together we have to transfer all the schemes to break or undermine our Amititi and Trust relationships,” he wrote in a signed article on Russian media.

Russian and Chinese leaders also described Trump’s plans for a “gold dome” shield for missile defense over the United States as “deeply destabilizing” and claimed to be weapons of space.

Both leaders are willing to present their vision for an alternative world order to what they believe is we hegemony of the United States.

But the XI will be aware that while China is a superpower – Russia’s power is already limited. This is no longer a partnership.

The war in Ukraine weakened the economy of Russia and exhausted its arsenal and army.

The Western sanctions also left Moscow far more reading Beijing for economic survival. They heavily weakened the Kremlin on the world stage.

“Russia needs China a lot more than the opposite is true,” Bugu said.

Moscow will have to “suck it,” he added.

Putin can lean on his friend as they watch the tanks roll through Red Square and can unite when they need each other.

But behind the bold statements, smiles, handshakes and occasionally hugs, there are potential sources of discord and disharmony that could appear in the coming years.