An attempt to counter US dominance: Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping meet to ramp up their ‘no limits’ friendship

 

MSN   "This was the first in-person meeting between the two world leaders since the start of the Ukraine war. It is also the return of China’s Xi to the world stage with his first trip abroad since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic almost three years ago.

An attempt to counter US dominance

"The meeting was largely regarded as an attempt to ramp up their ‘no limits’ friendship and deepen economic ties, especially in the realm of energy by announcing new gas pipelines.

"It was also an opportunity for the two to discuss prevalent security issues and counter the U.S. dominance in the world, as President Putin said 'U.S. attempts to create a unipolar world would fail.'

"Seven months into the Ukraine war, Russia’s economy is battered by the multitude of sanctions imposed by the West. Reports suggest that Russia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has fallen by 4% in the second quarter. Conversely, the growth of the Chinese economy has slowed down over this period, most markedly because of its ‘zero COVID’ policy that is continuing to impose strict lockdown mandates and border controls.

"However, analysts suggest that this is not a meeting of two equals. The latter is a superpower with the world’s fastest-growing economy, while the former is a dwindling superpower that is fighting a draining war in Ukraine and trying to build new export markets away from the West.". . .