Russia Visits China: Vision in Reflection
The Unipolar system is revealed in relief as the principles of its Multipolar replacement are put on display.
[Chinese and Russian officials meet during the 2024-05-16 and 17 visit.]
Published: 2024-05-19
Diplomacy
A minor pause in alarms of horror from news of a genocide in southwest Asia and a potentially nuclear war in western Asia has allowed erudite and informed geopolitical commentators to turn to the calm, continental meeting of two world powers. As Patrick Lawrence observed, despite Western media's efforts "to dismiss this latest encounter of the Russian and Chinese leaders as of no account" eyes are turned towards it, and for very good reason.
Russia and China have just issued their second extensive communiqué on their shared goals. Its full details have yet to be published. It will certainly follow and include adaptions from that issued
on the eve of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, [when] Putin and Xi made dramatically public their “Joint Statement on International Relations Entering a New Era and Global Sustainable Development".
This second, joint statement cements Russia and China's common vision which will guide more than just their policy. It commands our attention as China is the world's largest economy, with Russia a few notches down, and possessing the world's most experienced and technologically capable military.
Reflections in Contrast
Alex Christoforou began one of his recent daily news monologues with a reflection, comparing the recent diplomatic exchanges between the US and China, and this, between Russia and China.
By the US, the first of two recent high level US visits was from Treasury Secretary Yellen complaining about China's "over production". The US then abandoned "free trade" and reverted to protectionism by raising duties on Chinese electric vehicles from 25% to 100%, confirming its lower economic stature in production which it created for itself by exporting its manufacturing industries to east Asia from the 1990s.
The second US visit to China was by Secretary of State Blinken. He threatened China on Chinese soil with sanctions if it continued to trade with Russia. He, like his predecessor was couching the threat in a narrative deployed by 'Toria Nuland's replacement at the State Department, Kurt Campbell. That narrative is that Ukraine is losing NATO's war with Russia because China is selling Russia "dual use goods". The threat of economic warfare has already been converted into an actuality, irrespective of its consequences. Would anyone like to explain how sanctioning your largest trading partner is going to be helpful? The hypocrisy of the narrative is exposed by comparing China requiring payment for potentially "dual use goods" with the US purchasing with tax-payer funds, fully assembled munitions and gifting them to Ukraine.
But, Kurt's narrative is the US narrative for it serves its military contracting complex who are busily building bases in the western Pacific in preparation for an idiotic war with China (and Russia) which can be nothing but lost. This aggression, in narrative, foreign policy and military spending is merely an extension of 34 years of exceptionalist, blind, unipolar policy by the US following the disbanding of the USSR and the US charging into unipolarity with its “end of history” myopia. This belligerent hegemony is again being put on display, and this time by contrast.
China and Russia are continuing their demonstration of how international relations can be. Russia declared its seriousness, and respect to China with its delegation:
The Russian president has brought a large delegation consisting of five deputy prime ministers, heads of economic, diplomatic and security agencies, as well as heads of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Russian Railways, Rosatom and Roscosmos. In addition, senior officials from 20 Russian regions have come with the president.
25+ senior officials joined the Russian President for discussions and face to face meetings with their counterparts in China.
We are in a multi-polar world. The full text of China and Russia's joint statement from their meeting will further define, by example, the principles of it.
One may ask why the US has been so slow to recognize the boat that it has missed? Ray McGovern offered his insight into some of the road blocks preventing the US from even reaching the peer. In his essay for Consortium News he detailed some of the repeated blind spots in advice coming to the US president. He could not, even if able, execute a constructive foreign policy when advisers are blinded by ideology or self-interest. 'Toria Nuland's policy in Ukraine has lead to what must be close to half a trillion USD being spent on the US military and foreign governments instead of a plethora of worthy areas for domestic spending. Her successor's intentions are declared and will lead to exactly the same place unless some semblance of sanity can be installed in the White House and Congress. Sadly for the rest of the world, who still look to the US for the potential, the Enlightenment ideas written into its constitution, neither of these outcomes seems even remotely likely.
Given this sorry state of affairs, the rest of the world are watching the example being set and documented by China and Russia. No evidence of the impounding of foreign central bank assets can be seen. Unilateral economic sanctions are not issued. The principles of a community of nations are being expressed by Russia and China at the institution which embodies these ideals in its founding charter. The US has not only denied the genocide in Gaza and armed a genocidal Israel, it also repeatedly vetoed in the UN Security Council urgent calls for ceasefires.
On the second and last day of the Russian President's visit to China, the Chinese State Council released an article on the meetings. Within it are stressed the "Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence" conceived by Zhou Enlai in the mid–1950s to define Chinese foreign policy. Patrick Lawrence places them in their historical context and our current moment:
Zhou’s Principles, which were adopted by the Non–Aligned Movement at the famous conference Sukarno hosted at Bandung in 1955, are simply stated: respect for the sovereignty of others, respect for territorial integrity, noninterference in the internal affairs of others, a commitment to acting for mutual benefit, and a commitment to peaceful coexistence.
He continues stating that he has "detected these as subtext in Sino–Russian communiqués since the two sides issued the “Joint Statement” two years ago. Now they are restated publicly. It will be no bad thing if those coalescing around a new world order adopt them as the NAM [Non-Aligned Movement] did 70 years ago next year".
This is the contrast being placed in front of the world's foreign ministers and their governments. Instead of the US "my way or the highway" with its implicit hubris, exceptionalism and violence, there is another option being presented for the constructive co-existence of nations.
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Sources
Russia & China: Two Against One, Ray McGovern, Consortium News, 2024-05-17
Putin and Xi in Beijing: Steps into the 21st Century, Patrick Lawrence, ScheerPost, 2024-05-18
Sino-Russian entente shifts the tectonic plates of world politics, M. K. Bhadrakumar, Indian Punchline, 2024-05-19
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Companies for Aiding Russia’s War Effort, Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 2024-05-01
"The Biden administration on Wednesday announced nearly 300 new sanctions on international suppliers .... They include more than a dozen targets based in China .... The sanctions follow Ms. Yellen’s trip last month to China, where she confronted Chinese officials over support for Russia."
Secretary Blinken's Visit to the People's Reptublic of China, US State Department, 2024-04-26
"The Secretary ... raised concern about the global economic consequences of PRC industrial overcapacity."
"The Secretary raised serious concerns with PRC support to Russia’s defense industrial base that is enabling Russia to prosecute its war against Ukraine ..."
Xi, Putin hold talks in Beijing, charting course for enhanced ties, Xinhua, 2024-05-17
Biden announces new tariffs on imports of Chinese goods, including electric vehicles, Asma Khalid, NPR, 2024-05-14
[US] NATO v Russia: 2014 - 2024, YesXorNo, 2024-03-09
Fico fights for life. Putin, huge delegation to China. Biden, 14 secs⧸5 jump cuts. EU warns Georgia, Alex Christoforou, 2024-05-17
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