Russian PresidentVladimir Putinwrapped up a visit to Beijing on Wednesday, hot on the heels of his American counterpart Donald Trump, who travelled to the Chinese capital just days before.
While both trips were similar in pomp, pageantry and platitudes, AFP takes a look at how the two visits differed:
Both Putin and Trump received red-carpet welcomes at the airport when they arrived in Beijing, greeted by smiling Chinese youth waving flags and chanting “welcome!”
Trump was met on the tarmac by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng — marking an “elevation” compared to his previous visit in 2017, when he was greeted by then-state councillor Yang Jiechi , said Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
Meanwhile, Putin was received by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a lower-ranking official who nevertheless is a member of the elite Politburo party body, comprising of around 20 of the country’s top leaders.
“You could argue that Wang is also a Politburo member who has more substantial authority, especially over foreign affairs,” said Lizzi Lee, a fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis.
But, she cautioned, “who greets a leader on the runway is only roughly relevant to, and usually not the clean-cut indicator of, how Beijing ranks the relationship”.
It is important to note, however, that Putin is a more frequent visitor to China compared to Trump, with this being the Russian leader’s 25th visit, Loh added.
Both Trump and Putin heaped praise on Xi, with the US president describing him as a “great leader” and “friend”, while Putin called him a “dear friend” and lamented how “a day apart feels like three autumns”.
Xi struck a warmer tone with Putin, hailing an “unyielding” relationship which has “upheld international fairness and justice”.
Source: Insider Paper
