Putin is in China to bolster the anti-Western alliance

 Putin is in China to bolster the anti-Western alliance

Vladimir Putin is traveling to China, Russia's most significant ally, on a significant trip that aims to strengthen an alliance against the West and celebrate relations between the two countries.

Heihe, a tiny town, is located close to China's border with Russia. Few local visitors visit this location to get a glimpse of the nearby city of Blagoveshchensk, which is located just over the river.

A tour boat idles on the lake while blaring out upbeat Chinese tunes in an effort to attract tourists, but because no one is purchasing tickets, it doesn't seem like the boat will move during the day.

A Russian coast guard vessel is docked across the sea, where personnel enjoy the time by doing drills in the fall heat.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping proclaimed a new "no limits" alliance between their nations when they both traveled to Beijing for the Winter Olympics' opening ceremony at the beginning of the previous year.

China's official media has been praising the results of this partnership since the Russian president returned to the Chinese capital.

Both governments have benefited from it in one way or another. Images of their handshakes might help to attempt to convince their own people that everything is normal when such strong pals are standing together. They can comfort one another when they are frozen out on the international stage. However, it seems that commercial activity in their border regions falls short of the political rhetoric.

Despite being heralded as the beginning of a new era in cross-border commerce, a recently constructed bridge connecting Heihe and Blagoveshchensk is devoid of any traffic for a whole hour.

Two sizable multi-story retail centers in the center of the city have been shuttered owing to a lack of patronage, hidden behind tiny groups of tourists snapping pictures across the river. One closed just a few months ago, while the other has reportedly been abandoned for seven years.

Some of the previous stallholders are now selling Russian souvenirs and gadgets out of the backs of their parked automobiles in front of the first building.

Business isn't doing well. There aren't enough visitors, claims one lady.

"The borders haven't been open for very long after Covid. Not enough Russians are entering the country. They are fighting a war and are destitute.

As she says this, other vendors of products nod in agreement.

A lady in a little store on a neighboring street is selling hats manufactured in China with Russian fur. She claims that they were formerly highly well-liked by both Russian and Chinese consumers, but lately her company has been having trouble.

You cannot compare the present to the past, she asserts. Simply observe the streets. They are vacant. They used to be crowded with prospective customers.

However, there is one group that is more optimistic about commerce between Russia and China: the truck drivers who are waiting to access the riverboat port.

"I'm carrying soybeans, wheat and barley, from anywhere Russia, and it's busier even before," says a driver.

"I'm shipping coal and sand from Russia. Others are transferring food-filled containers, according to another.

The port's entrance does seem active, with a variety of items being brought in and out. Steel frames, coal, and sand are being lifted off of ships by cranes and lowered into vehicles that are waiting.

The drivers claim that utilizing the boat instead of the new bridge would save them money, which may help to explain why it is more often utilized.

New Russian taxes on a few Chinese commodities, according to several businesses in Heihe, have cooled the trading climate.

What assistance does China provide to Russia?

China now gets the majority of its oil from Russia.

And yet, by pumping more Russian natural gas into its north-eastern province of Heilongjiang, China has been supporting its ally, who is suffering from sanctions as a result of its invasion of Ukraine.

Additionally, the majority of the Chinese populace has joined Vladimir Putin's war effort thanks to Xi Jinping's leadership.

This has been accomplished via state-run media, which instead of referring to a "invasion" or even a "war" in Ukraine, refers to a Russian operation that is necessary to stave against Nato's and, in particular, the United States' expansionist impulses.

Speak to individuals in Harbin, the provincial hub of Heilongjiang, to get a sense of how effective this propaganda campaign has been.

It was dominated by Russians and Russian culture a century ago, but even their descendants have since fled. These days, the only traces of the city's former Russian identity are in China.

Tourists from neighboring Chinese regions gather for photos in front of the stunning Russian Orthodox church.

One lady claims that relations between Russia and China are cordial.

Putin is an accountable leader, the guy standing next to her says. a morally upright guy.

One more, who was there with a buddy, declared: "Putin is a guy of iron hands. He is tough, which is wonderful.

But does he understand the causes of Russia's conflict with Ukraine?

"Ordinary people like us shouldn't comment on that," he responds.

By consuming Nato resources and, in the eyes of some, encouraging a perception that connection with the US carries possible risk and perhaps disorder, Russia's conflict may be supporting Beijing's geostrategic objectives.

On the other hand, the crisis in Ukraine may strengthen NATO's position while weakening the already fragile Russian economy. Additionally, it has provided China's Communist Party with a taste of the potential economic and human suffering that would accompany an attempt to forcibly annex Taiwan.

Vladmir Putin is reportedly in China this week to take part in a symposium assessing the development of Xi Jinping's favorite project, the Belt and Road Initiative. It is a global transportation infrastructure network that connects China with nations to the west, but it has come under fire for sometimes trapping weaker countries in a cycle of debt.

As they work to form a larger alliance against the West with other like-minded states, the leaders of China and Russia will celebrate their closer connections when they meet on the fringes of this summit.

And you can see how this will help them.

China still has a long way to go before its commerce with Russia equals that of many of the same Western nations that are seen as ideological rivals.