Chinese language President Xi Jinping, proper, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake arms throughout an awarding ceremony on the Nice Corridor of the Individuals in Beijing, China, on June 8, 2018. Xi is touring to Moscow to point out assist for Putin.

Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

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Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

Chinese language President Xi Jinping, proper, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake arms throughout an awarding ceremony on the Nice Corridor of the Individuals in Beijing, China, on June 8, 2018. Xi is touring to Moscow to point out assist for Putin.

Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

China’s chief Xi Jinping lands in Moscow on Monday to point out assist for Russian chief Vladimir Putin and probe doable steps towards peace in Ukraine.

After the three-day go to to Russia, Xi is anticipated to have talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The dialog could be the primary because the begin of the battle. Analysts say the chance of a giant breakthrough on Ukraine is slim as a result of Russian and Ukrainian negotiating positions stay to date aside.

For Xi, who this month locked up a uncommon third time period as China’s president, the Russia journey provides an opportunity to strengthen relations with a key neighbor and partner-of-convenience. On the similar time, the journey might assist burnish China’s credentials as a worldwide heavyweight.

“He can solid his go to to Moscow within the context of some grand worldwide diplomacy, [yet] he does not even have to attain a lot to perform this objective,” mentioned Paul Haenle, a China professional on the Carnegie Endowment for Worldwide Peace and a former director on the Nationwide Safety Council beneath presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

On the eve of the Ukraine invasion a 12 months in the past, Russia and China declared a “no limits” friendship. And whereas many consider China’s management was caught off guard by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that adopted, Beijing has refused to sentence the transfer, as an alternative trumpeting the power of Beijing-Moscow ties.

Xi says the connection has grown “extra mature and resilient”

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese language President Xi Jinping pose for {a photograph} throughout their assembly in Beijing, on Feb. 4, 2022.

Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP through Getty Photos

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Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP through Getty Photos

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese language President Xi Jinping pose for {a photograph} throughout their assembly in Beijing, on Feb. 4, 2022.

Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP through Getty Photos

Forward of his go to to Moscow, Xi wrote within the state-owned Russian Gazette newspaper that the 2 international locations have “cemented political mutual belief and fostered a brand new mannequin of major-country relations.”

“The bilateral relationship has grown extra mature and resilient,” Xi declared. On the Ukraine disaster, Xi urged all events to “embrace the imaginative and prescient of widespread, complete, cooperative and sustainable safety, and pursue equal-footed, rational and results-oriented dialogue and session.”

China’s steadfast assist of Moscow all through the battle has dented its picture in western Europe, the place Beijing is eager to forge deeper relations.

Rana Mitter, a professor of Chinese language historical past and politics on the College of Oxford, says China might hope the Moscow journey will assist persuade some in Europe “to take a extra America-skeptic place on questions of safety and financial cooperation.”

“If the case is that [China] truly can speak to Putin and attempt to mediate among the difficulties with Russia that these of you in Western Europe merely can not,” he mentioned, “that is a proposition that at the very least some leaders within the area would possibly hearken to.”

For its half, Beijing seems eager to foster the picture of peacemaker.

Earlier this month, China helped finalize a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran on re-establishing diplomatic relations. The Chinese language authorities in February printed a 12-point “place paper” laying out broad ideas for resolving the Ukraine battle. And on Friday, International Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin mentioned China would “play a constructive function in urging peace and selling talks.”

“The temper has been set. The framework has been set. The concept of China doubtlessly because the peacemaker that goes the place different international locations cannot has been set. However the precise answer nonetheless seems in some methods a lot, far more obscure, far more fluid,” mentioned Mitter.

The Chinese language should not actually aiming to be “the true drawback solver right here,” in line with Yun Solar, a senior fellow on the Stimson Middle in Washington, D.C.

She mentioned, with Xi visiting Moscow, “they know that there can be these crucial questions on China, about what China plans to do on the battle in Ukraine. I feel that political place [paper] and the framing of China as a peace dealer is to serve that political goal.”

China’s previous mediations confirmed its limits

China’s function as a mediator previously suggests limits to what it might obtain with regards to Ukraine.

“Even within the Iran-Saudi deal, China was not a peace dealer. I feel China exploited a chance that ripened,” Solar mentioned. “These two international locations truly needed to enhance their relations, however I do not assume that situation exists between Russia and Ukraine — at the very least not now and at the very least not for the foreseeable future.”

Haenle, of the Carnegie Endowment, says through the Six Occasion Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, during which he took half, Beijing excelled at bringing negotiators to the desk. However he says Chinese language officers not often pressed any of the events to maneuver the ball down the sector.

“We all the time had the sense that america, South Korea, Japan, we have been actually aggressively looking for a method to clear up the North Korean nuclear situation, the place the Chinese language have been actually searching for a course of to handle the North Korean nuclear situation,” he mentioned.

“Whether or not they’ll play an energetic function in ending the Ukraine battle, I feel, might be one thing that we’ll not see right here within the close to time period,” Haenle mentioned.

As a substitute, the main focus of Xi’s Moscow journey can be on strengthening China-Russia relations. And for Xi, meaning it’s going to most probably be a win, says Suisheng Zhao, a professor on the College of Denver.

China frames its overseas relations throughout the context of its superpower rivalry with america. Xi’s journey to Russia isn’t any exception.

“The advantages will certainly weigh over the prices,” Zhao mentioned. “His most elementary overseas coverage goal now’s [to] attempt to defend China’s pursuits towards American confrontation.”