Eyes on Xi Jinping-Putin Meeting... Opening of China Belt and Road Forum

Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious 'Belt and Road Initiative (land and maritime Silk Road)' project marks its 10th anniversary with the official start of the '3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation' on the 17th. Amid the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict into the potential 5th Middle East War, the leaders of China and Russia are using this opportunity to showcase their alliance against the United States and others.

Held for the third time following 2017 and 2019, this year's summit forum takes place over two days in Beijing, the capital of China, under the theme "Jointly Building a High-Quality Belt and Road, Working Together to Achieve Common Development and Prosperity." The forum will be attended by over 4,000 experts and officials from 140 countries and 30 international organizations.

The Washington Post (WP) noted regarding the meeting between President Xi and President Putin, "Even at a moment when the geopolitical crisis is intensifying due to the Israel-Palestine war, both sides are seizing the opportunity to demonstrate their alliance and partnership against the United States and the West," emphasizing that "this meeting takes place at a time when trust in each leader’s leadership has plummeted amid Russia’s war and China’s economic setbacks."

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

The first day features a business conference and a welcome reception, with the opening ceremony scheduled for the second day, the 18th. President Xi plans to deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, reflecting on the 10 years of the Belt and Road Initiative and announcing future plans.

On the second day, in addition to the opening ceremony, high-level forums will be held on themes such as connectivity, green development, and the digital economy. Six special forums will also take place, covering smooth trade, public sentiment communication, think tank exchanges, the Silk Road, regional cooperation, and maritime cooperation. Several documents outlining the future direction of the Belt and Road Initiative are expected to be released during the forum.

Particular attention is focused on the summit meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is visiting China to attend the forum, and President Xi. This face-to-face meeting comes seven months after President Xi’s state visit to Russia in March. President Putin is expected to arrive in Beijing on the day.

Yuri Ushakov, Kremlin foreign affairs advisor, announced that President Putin will speak at the Belt and Road Forum opening ceremony starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow, following President Xi, and a press conference is also planned. The talks between Presidents Putin and Xi after the opening ceremony will be conducted in two stages: a delegation-attended meeting and a one-on-one meeting.

The Russian delegation includes key ministers such as Deputy Prime Ministers Aleksandr Novak and Dmitry Chernyshenko, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Minister of Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov, and Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East Aleksey Chekunkov.

During the talks, Presidents Xi and Putin are expected to clearly express their determination to counter the United States and share their positions on global issues such as the Israel-Hamas war.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.