Russian president visits his most important ally to strengthen alliance against the West and celebrate China-Russia ties.
The small city of Heihe is located along the border between China and Russia. Tourists go there to see nearby Blagoveshchensk, across the river, but there weren’t many of them the day the reporter went there.
A tourist boat sits in the water, playing upbeat Chinese music in an attempt to attract passengers, but since no one buys tickets, it probably won’t go anywhere all day.
Across the water, a Russian coast guard ship sits idle and officers spend their time exercising on deck in the autumn sun.
When Vladimir Putin visited Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics early last year, he and Xi Jinping announced a new “unlimited” partnership between their countries.
Now, with the Russian leader’s return to the Chinese capital, Chinese state media has highlighted the fruits of that relationship.
On the one hand, it was beneficial for both governments. They can reassure each other when they are frozen on the world stage, and the images of their handshakes are useful in trying to show their people that all is well, with such powerful friends together.
However, economic activity in the border areas does not appear to live up to the political rhetoric.
The newly built bridge spanning Blagoveshchensk from Heihe was celebrated as the symbol of a new era in cross-border trade, but after observing it for an hour, we didn’t see a single vehicle traveling in any direction.
In the heart of the city, behind the small groups of tourists taking photos across the river, two large multi-storey shopping centers were closed for lack of patronage. One closed a few months ago and we were told the other has been empty for seven years.
Some of the site’s former vendors are standing in front of the first building selling Russian gifts and electronics from the back of their cars.
“Business isn’t good. There aren’t enough tourists,” says one woman.
“After Covid, the borders have not been open for a long time. Not enough Russians are passing through. They are poor and are at war.”
Others selling goods nod when he says this.
On a nearby street, a woman in a small shop sells hats made in China, using Russian fur. She says they were once very popular with Russian and Chinese customers, but recently her business has been struggling.
“You can’t compare the present to the past,” he says. “Just look at the streets. They are empty. In the past they were full of potential buyers.”
There is, however, one group that is more optimistic about Russian-Chinese trade: truck drivers waiting to enter the river port.
“I’m transporting soybeans, wheat and barley, all from Russia, and there’s more traffic than before,” says one driver.
“I’m transporting sand and coal from Russia. Others are transporting containers with food,” another commented.
And the port entrance seems busy, with all kinds of materials being transported in and out. Cranes lift steel structures, coal and sand from ships and deposit them onto waiting trucks.
Motorists say crossing towns by boat is cheaper than across the new bridge, which may partly explain why it is used more.
Other Heihe business owners say new Russian tariffs on some Chinese goods have hurt trade.
Yet China has helped its partner, hit by sanctions after invading Ukraine, by funneling more Russian natural gas into its northeastern province of Heilongjiang.
Furthermore, the Xi Jinping administration ensured that the majority of the Chinese population supported Vladimir Putin’s war effort.
This occurs through the state-controlled media, which does not talk about an “invasion” or even “war” in Ukraine, but rather about a justified Russian operation to counter the expansionist tendencies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance ) and, in particular, the United States.
To gauge the success of this propaganda strategy, just talk to people on the streets of Harbin, the regional capital of Heilongjiang.
A century ago it was a place dominated by Russian people and Russian culture, but the descendants of these families have also left. Today it is a completely Chinese city, with only traces of its Russian past.
In front of the beautiful Russian Orthodox cathedral, tourists arriving from other Chinese provinces pose for photos.
“Russia and China have good relations,” one woman said.
The man next to her adds: “Putin is a responsible leader. A man with a sense of justice.”
Another, visiting a friend, says: “Putin is a man with an iron fist. He’s tough, and tough is good.”
But do you know why the Russian leader is at war with Ukraine?
“Ordinary people like us shouldn’t comment on this,” he replies.
Russia’s war could aid Beijing’s geostrategic goals by consuming NATO resources and – in the eyes of some – promoting the idea that association with the United States brings potential danger and even chaos.
The flip side is that the conflict in Ukraine could also lead to an increase in NATO’s power, while degrading an already struggling Russian economy. Furthermore, it also gave the Chinese Communist Party a taste of the personal misery and economic pain that could culminate in a move to take over Taiwan by force.
Officially, Vladimir Putin is in China this week to participate in a forum reviewing the progress of Xi Jinping’s pet project, the Belt and Road Initiative. It is a global transportation infrastructure program that links China with Western countries, but has been criticized for sometimes ensnaring poorer nations in debt traps.
When the leaders of China and Russia meet on the sidelines of this conference, they will celebrate the strengthening of their ties as they seek to build a broader coalition against the West with other like-minded governments.
And you can see how this is beneficial to them.
However, there is still a long way to go for China’s trade with Russia to match that with many of the Western countries considered ideological enemies.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
