/CHINA: Putin & Xi Set To Meet Thursday In Samarkand Thursday Afternoon

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold bilateral talks early on Thursday afternoon, according to a schedule distributed by the Russian delegation to a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that takes place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

• The meeting of the two leaders will be watched for any signs of tension in Sino-Russian relations. Russia's dragged-out invasion of Ukraine has been testing their alliance since Xi declared a "no limits" partnership with Moscow in February. Beijing has long been refusing to openly back Russia's war on Ukraine, with analysts pointing to conspicuous discrepancies in the readouts of meetings between respective officials. The Russian president will be trying to lobby his Chinese counterpart to step up diplomatic and material support to his war efforts, which could see Beijing incur political and economic costs.
• On a related note, the leaders are expected to showcase an "alternative" to the Western world. The degree to which Russia and China will be able to present a united front will be critical to these efforts. On the Russian side, Putin will be looking to challenge claims of Russia's international isolation and frame sanctions as a Western initiative.
• Adjustments to the balance of power in Central Asia provide another point of note ahead of the Sino-Russian summit. China's Xi visited Kazakhstan ahead of his summit with Putin during his first foreign trip since the beginning of the pandemic. Russia's relations with the post-Soviet republic reached new lows since Moscow launched its invasion on Ukraine and leaders of both countries traded barbs on various occasions. China may use this opportunity to try and boost its influence in Central Asia, with Xi pledging opposition to "the interference of any forces in the internal affairs of your country."