And our Moscow correspondent Ivor
Bennett joins me now to discuss that
meeting. So Vladimir Putin getting the
red carpet treatment uh in China just
two weeks after Donald Trump rolled out
the red carpet for him.
>> That's right. And the symbolism of this
trip is hugely significant. It's a
deliberate show, I think, of how close
Moscow is to Beijing right now in the
wake of that meeting between Vladimir
Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska and in
the wake of US attempts to end the war
in Ukraine. Um because Vladimir Putin
isn't just going for a summit in China.
He's also going for face-to-face talks
with Xi Jinping on Tuesday. Then on
Wednesday, he'll be the main guest of
honor at this massive military parade uh
in Beijing on Wednesday. So in total,
it'll be a 4-day trip. Uh and a trip of
that length to one country is very rare
for the Kremlin leader. So this feels
like a very deliberate attempt to
emphasize how strong this relationship
is with China, especially in the face of
US pressure. pressure on Moscow to end
the war, pressure on Beijing to stop
buying Russian oil in the hope it moves
Moscow closer to peace. This is about uh
showing Donald Trump that that pressure
for now isn't working at this bond
between Russia and China remains as
strong as ever. And I think Vladimir
Putin will be looking to say the same
about his relationship with India as
well because Donald Trump has of course
already imposed secondary sanctions on
India for buying Russian oil hoping it
drives a wedge between these two
countries. But here, Vladimir Putin will
be meeting Narendra Modoji among a
string of bilateral meetings he'll be
holding. Again, an attempt to show
Donald Trump that Russia still has other
options. And for now, that these kind of
relationships are immune from threats
and bullying. Having said that though, I
think it's not just about symbolism for
Vladimir Putin. It's also about
substance in particular with his talks
with Xiinping. Uh China over the past
few years has provided an economic
lifeline for Russia after they got cut
off from the west. uh bilateral trade
rose to record levels uh last year but
since the beginning of this year it has
started to drop off it slumped by around
8% and that's particularly concerning
with signs Russia's economy could be
heading towards recession so I think
Vladimir Putin will be looking to arrest
that slump per perhaps uh push bilateral
trade into other new areas sign new
deals so I think he'll be looking for
substance as well as symbolism