China's top military leader heaped praise on Vladimir Putin this week for standing firm against ongoing economic punishment by the West, according to a Kremlin readout that likely went unseen by Chinese audiences.
"Under your leadership, the Russian Federation has been firm in facing the Western sanctions, which demonstrates that no challenges can overburden you or Russia. You have China's respect for that," said Zhang Youxia, a Chinese general who occupies the No. 2 position on the Central Military Commission in Beijing.
Zhang was received on Wednesday in Moscow by Russia's president as well as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. China's state media didn't carry the Kremlin's transcript, but Chinese broadcasts showed the senior official expressing Beijing's admiration for Putin's managing of "various risks and challenges."
Zhang, 73, is the oldest member on the Communist Party's powerful 24-man Politburo led by Xi Jinping, the general secretary. Zhang has taken over attendance at international events after the country's sitting defense minister, Li Shangfu, was formally banished from elite politics in October amid a high-profile corruption probe that goes back at least six years.
China has been accused of providing political cover for Putin by refusing to condemn his invasion of Ukraine and for continuing to host the Russian leader despite an outstanding warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes.
The Kremlin hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in September and Li, the now-dismissed defense chief, in August.
Western officials say Beijing has yet to deliver arms to Moscow's troops, but the United States and others have sanctioned a growing list of Chinese firms for supplying Russia's military with the equipment it needs to prosecute its war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has held his tongue in the hope of keeping Xi onside—perceived Chinese neutrality is better than a full Russian tilt, his aides have said. Behind the scenes, however, Kyiv's backers in the West are cautioning against any deepening of the Ukraine-China relationship in the areas of critical infrastructure and sensitive technologies.
Beijing's approach to Zhang's praise wasn't the first time two different versions of events were presented to Chinese audiences. In 2022, a top official's full-throated support for Russia's military campaign went uncovered by Chinese news outlets, as was Xi's alleged endorsement of Putin's actions.
In both cases, it suggested Chinese public opinion in favor of Russia may not have been as clear-cut as most were led to believe.
Putin has talked up Sino-Russian economic ties this year. In September, Chinese exports to Russia rose 21 percent year-on-year to $9.6 billion, outpacing the previous month's growth, according to Beijing's latest customs data. China's imports from Russia rose by 8 percent year-on-year to $11.5 billion.
Russia's president said bilateral trade would hit $200 billion in 2023, one year ahead of schedule.
The Russian and Chinese foreign ministries didn't return separate requests for comment before publication.
CIA Director William Burns said in April: "And if you look at the reality that Russia is becoming more and more dependent on China, and in some respects runs the risk of becoming an economic colony of China over time, dependent for export of energy resources and raw materials in that direction as well, that all adds up, in my view, to a huge own goal for Putin's Russia right now."
While the Kremlin may count on Beijing as its closest geostrategic ally, China's leader is hedging his bets. Xi is set to be welcomed by the U.S. government and members of America's sizable business community, reportedly on November 15, when he travels to San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
U.S.-China relations remain more than a little tricky; few expect major breakthroughs from the next summit between President Joe Biden and Xi, despite their stated goals of reducing tensions and avoiding conflict.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ... Read more
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