Staff Reports
Hours after President Donald Trump took office, the leaders of China and Russia decided to cozy up and strategize like they were planning a weekend BBQ. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin hopped on a 90-minute telephone call, clearly trying to figure out how to keep their kingdoms thriving amid what they dubbed the “current global situation.” One can’t help but speculate that they might have been discussing how to apply the #friendshipgoals hashtag to their international relations.
Xi waxed poetic about taking Chinese-Russian relations to the “next level.” Apparently, this level involves sticking together against the West and acting as the world’s two biggest backroom dealers. Xi’s intentions to preserve their “stability and resilience” seemed genuine, but given the history, it’s more like they are just trying to have each other’s backs from the inevitable fallout of their shenanigans.
On the day Trump got inaugurated, Xi and Putin held a videoconference to strengthen China-Russia relations.
Xi and Putin must create and solidify a multipolar world order in the next four years.
That will be their legacy and the biggest contribution to humanity. pic.twitter.com/9JVJjl92bq
— S.L. Kanthan (@Kanthan2030) January 21, 2025
Putin, ever the boaster, decided to brag about collaborative projects, including the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, that like a good Russian vodka, seems to be flowing just fine. He declared that Russia has now become the leading supplier of natural gas to China. It’s all very sweet, really, like two old pals patting each other on the back while shoving a good portion of the world’s energy market around like it’s a game of chess. Going so far as to credit their regime’s “joint efforts” for stabilizing international affairs is rich considering their recent history of meddling and warmongering that has caused quite a ruckus.
The conversation skimmed over the elephant in the room: Ukraine and Taiwan. Every good conspirator knows when to dodge the stickier questions, and these two were well-practiced. China was all too happy to praise Putin’s “firm” support for their claims on Taiwan, while keeping any grievances about an actual war under wraps. It was almost as if they had choreographed a dance that neither wanted to trip over.
In a twist of irony, both leaders found the time to discuss their mutual dissatisfaction with the United States and expressed hopes for a “mutually beneficial, mutually respectful” relationship. The Kremlin posited that if the Trump administration was up for it, both China and Russia would love to play nice. How’s that for friendly diplomacy? Meanwhile, Trump was sharpening his legislative sword, threatening tariffs on China for its role in exporting fentanyl to North America, while also putting Putin on notice about the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Putin may have claimed that their cooperation is vital for world order, but let’s not forget that his brand of “order” includes territorial invasions and campaigns of aggression that have wreaked havoc globally. The audacity of these leaders to project themselves as stabilizing influences is a reminder of the unfortunate reality that while they gulp down the world’s natural resources, they’re dining on delusion with a side of hypocrisy. China’s record-high oil imports from Russia reveal a mutually beneficial dependency between the two rogue states, turning them into something akin to an odd couple with dangerous ambitions.
