The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin showed strong support for the Russian Federation from side of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and possible Western sanctions do not deter the Chinese leader from supporting his Russian counterpart, writes The New York Times.
As the publication points out, Xi Jinping, “days after returning from Europe, where he was lectured on how to contain Russia, used the meeting with President Vladimir Putin to convey to the West the unpleasant reality - his support for Putin remains unwavering.“
The newspaper noted that Western leaders could not find “signs of significant differences” between the two leaders, although “neither the risk of alienation from Europe nor US sanctions aimed at Chinese banks prevent Xi from supporting Putin.“
The publication emphasizes that for the Chinese leader “potential sanctions and tariffs are an acceptable price for his strategic partnership with Russia” and the more pressure Washington exerts, “the more confident Xi Jinping becomes in his choice”.