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Russia and China Hold Hands Ahead of G-20 Summit

  • By Bethany Allen-EbrahimianBethany Allen-Ebrahimian is an assistant editor at Foreign Policy. She spent four years in China before joining Foreign Policy and holds a master's degree in East Asian studies from Yale University.
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  • @BethanyAllenEbr
Russia and China Hold Hands Ahead of G-20 Summit

Visiting dignitaries from Russia and China may face crowds of rowdy demonstrators at the G-20 summit that begins on Thursday in Hamburg, leading the two powers to make a show of solidarity with each other before the summit begins.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin for a state visit, his third to Russia this year. The two leaders have already demonstrated their joint resolve by denouncing the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system to South Korea.

“Beijing and Moscow are steadfastly opposed to the THAAD deployment and seriously suggest that relevant countries stop and cancel the installation,” said Xi shortly before his arrival in Moscow, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

The United States and South Korea maintain that the THAAD system is only intended to counter the threat of North Korean nukes, but China holds that the radar capabilities extend far into Chinese territory and thus pose a grave security risk. Russia has expressed support for Beijing’s position several times over the past year.

The relationship between Beijing and Moscow has deepened in recent years as Russia has sought to reduce its economic dependence on Europe, while China has sought support for its interests abroad under a more assertive Xi.

During the visit, Putin is expected to give Xi the Order of St. Andrew, the Russia’s highest order, for “his distinguished service to the peoples of China and Russia,” according to the TASS news agency. And Russian foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov characterized the state of relations between the two countries as “the best in history.”

Russia is also China’s favorite foreign policy exception. China vocally opposed U.S. bombing campaigns in the Middle East — but Russia’s campaigns in Syria were hugely popular in China.

The official state visit doesn’t start until Tuesday, so expect more joint statements and news of trade deals worth up to $10 billion over the next two days.

ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images