Which Two World Leaders Have Met More Than 40 Times In 10 Years?

 The answer is these two guys in the picture here.

 

 

As you are reading this Mr Xi Xinping the leader of China would have completed his 40th direct meeting with President Vladimir Putin (in Moscow since Monday). They also meet via video conferencing plus making phone calls.

In other words Mr Putin and Mr Xi have personally met, face to face, on the average once every THREE months. Plus phone calls and video conferencing. That is more often than most people meet their closest family and friends.

In early February 2022 President Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, met (in their 38th in-person meeting in nine years) shortly before the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics. They also  released a 5,000-word statement that reaffirmed their no-limits relationship.  I believe Mr Putin briefed Xi Xinping about Russia's upcoming military operation in Ukraine that began on Feb 24, 2022.

Now one year later in March 2023, Mr Putin has probably briefed Mr Xi on what will happen in Ukraine to conclude the military operation as well.

Here is The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/21/10-years-strengthening-ties-between-putin-xi-china-russia

• visit by Xi Jinping to Moscow
• strengthen relationship with Putin
• two leaders have met more than 40 times
• growing increasingly familiar
• now refer to each other as “dear friends”
• Xi described as great friend
• reciprocated Putin' compliment
  

2013 - Xi’s first foreign visit as China’s president in 2013 was to Moscow
he told Putin their characters were alike 

“always treat each other with an open soul”
Putin said China/Russia were “natural partners and natural allies”

 

2014 - Russia annexed Crimea
China supported Moscow

2015 - both countries agreed to arms sales
signed “non-aggression pact” 
In Nov 2014, Xi and Putin met in France

2019  - China-Russia announce 5-point “comprehensive strategic partnership”
both leaders strengthened personal ties
honorary doctorate from alma maters – St Petersburg and Tsinghua University.

 

Xi told Russian media: “Putin and I interact most extensively
He is my best friend, and I greatly treasure our friendship.”

• 2022 Feb - meeting on sidelines of Beijing Winter Olympics
• Both inked “limitless” partnership between Russia and China
• declared “no forbidden areas of cooperation”

2022 May - in telephone call Xi told Putin that Russia had China’s support 

2022 June - Xi and Putin met again, virtually at BRICS summit

2022 September - Xi and Putin met again at regional summit in Uzbekistan

My Comments : Since 1949 the Americans worked very hard to break up the USSR - China friendship. (For those of you below 40, USSR means Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or communist Russia). The US  succeeded   when Nikita Khruschev became general secretary of the USSR in 1953. There was a serious rift between Khruschev and Chairman Mao Tse Tung. This rift would last until well after the death of Chairman Mao in 1976.

One of the great conspirators to break up China and the USSR was Henry Kissinger. In 1971 Henry Kissinger secretly visited Beijing. In 1979 both the US and China established diplomatic ties.

Also in 1979-80 the CIA established electronic listening posts along the border between China and Russia (in Xinjiang). It was called Project Chestnut. In 1979 Deng Xiao Ping became the first Chinese Communist leader to visit Washington. What was kept secret for decades was Deng's visit to the CIA Headquarters in Langley Virginia - in the middle of the night when almost all the CIA staff had gone home. Deng met CIA Director Stansfield Turner deep inside the CIA HQ.

After the collapse of communism in Russia in 1990 relations between China and Russia improved and the secret CIA stations in Xinjiang were also dismantled. With the rise of Mr Putin he adopted the Chinese attitude of "friendship towards all nations" especially towards China.

It is also less well known that Mr Putin has allowed almost ONE MILLION Chinese to  move into Siberia where they operate factories, farms, operate timber mills and logging, set up restaurants, supermarkets etc.  Mr Putin understands business and economics quite well. Until today Siberia possibly has more bears than human beings.

This is going to be a game changing partnership between two great powers. Their underlying approach is to promote prosperity around the world - something the US, the UK and the West have failed to do. Hence they will both become more popular around the globe. Plus both China and Russia are super powers.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.