Xi and Putin left no question of their close alignment in a divided world

View In Browser May 17, 2024   Simone McCarthy Xi and Putin left no question of their close alignment in a divided world Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin's meeting in Beijing on Thursday left no question of how closely the Chinese and Russian leaders are aligned in their vision for the world – and on bolstering the "powerful driving force" of their autocratic double act.   The two vowed to deepen their strategic partnership, and took aim at a United States they painted as a destabilizing aggressor.   In a sweeping 7,000-word joint statement outlining their shared view on issues from Taiwan to the war in Gaza, they proclaimed: "Russian-Chinese relations stand the test of rapid changes in the world, demonstrating strength and stability, and are experiencing the best period in their history."   The meeting made for a deeply incongruous split-screen. As Xi and Putin sipped tea from wicker chairs in manicured gardens of the official Zhongnanhai compound and discussed how to "promote world peace and common development," Ukrainian civilians called for evacuation from villages under assault from Russian forces.   Putin's two-day state visit comes as Western leaders have leant on Xi to ensure that soaring exports from his country aren't propping up the Russian war effort – a claim Beijing denies.   But even as Putin's pomp-filled welcome in the Chinese capital seemed to fly in the face of Western concerns about the partnership, Putin appeared to depart Beijing with few, publicly acknowledged gains — though it remains unclear what happened in discussions behind closed doors.   Here are some key takeaways from the meeting.   Taking aim at a US-led world order  Xi and Putin used their meetings and hefty statement to take aim at what they described as a global security system defined by US-backed military alliances – and pledged to work together to counter it.   "[We] intend to increase interaction and tighten coordination in order to counter Washington's destructive and hostile course towards the so-called 'dual containment' of our countries," the leaders pledged in their joint statement.   The joint statement also called on the US not to arm its allies with missile systems, and condemned US cooperation with allies as "extremely destabilizing."   The US considers China the "most serious long-term challenge to the international order," and Russia "a clear and present threat."   Growing military cooperation While slamming US military alliances, the two leaders pledged to "deepen" military "trust and cooperation," saying they would expand joint exercises and combat training, regularly conduct joint sea and air patrols, and improve the "capabilities and level of joint response to challenges and threats."   The two nations have grown their military drills around the world in recent years, continuing after Russia launched its war in Ukraine in February 2022 – drawing concern from Western observers that the two US rivals are working to enhance their military interoperability.   Putin also traveled to Beijing with top security officials who the Russian president said Thursday would join informal talks on Ukraine.    Broad rhetoric, few concrete pledges Despite the lofty rhetoric, information on any major deals brokered during the meeting was scant as Putin departed Beijing for the second day of the visit in northeastern China's Harbin.   Instead, the leaders in broad strokes pledged to "jointly promote the implementation of large-scale energy projects," while upping energy cooperation across oil, liquified natural gas, natural gas, coal and electricity.   They also called for strengthening industrial cooperation across a range of fields including civil aviation construction, electronics, chemical industry, shipbuilding and industrial equipment — pledges that, however vague, signpost more economic coordination in the years to come.   Keep reading key takeaways from Putin's two-day state visit.   More on Putin's visit and the politics around it: China's Xi Jinping rolls out red carpet for close friend Putin in strong show of unity How the Ukraine war brought China and Russia closer together Historic ties Russian President Vladimir Putin continued the second day of his state visit in China on Friday, with a stop in the city of Harbin in northeastern Heilongjiang province, where he laid flowers at a monument to Soviet soldiers who died during World War II.   The region, which borders Russia's Far East, also has a contentious history for Beijing and Moscow. It was historically a site of long-simmering border tensions between the two neighbors, which erupted in conflict in 1969. Heilongjiang has seen increasing connectivity with parts of Russia's Far East in recent years as ties improved and strengthened.   The city is expected to be Putin's last stop in his two-day state visit.  Microsoft asks some employees to move to other countries Microsoft has asked at least 100 of its employees in China to consider moving to other countries, according to Chinese state media reports.   The reports come as relations between Beijing and Washington deteriorate over technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and clean energy.   Microsoft employees, mostly involved with cloud computing, were recently offered the opportunity to work in the United States, Australia or Ireland, among other countries, state-run outlet The Paper said in a report Wednesday, citing an unnamed source.   "Providing internal opportunities is a regular part of managing our global business. As part of this process, we shared an optional internal transfer opportunity with a subset of employees," a Microsoft spokesperson told CNN on Thursday. It did not specify the number of workers who had received the offer.   The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Microsoft asked as many as 800 employees, mostly engineers with Chinese nationality working on cloud computing and AI, to consider relocating. The Journal, which cited unnamed sources, reported last year that the Biden administration was preparing to restrict Chinese firms' access to US cloud services.   The company entered China in 1992 and for decades has counted on its well-known Beijing-based research lab, Microsoft Research Lab Asia, to help it build influence.   "Everyone is confused," an employee told the Paper, as the affected staff has been given less than a month to decide.   Yicai, a Chinese state-owned financial media outlet, wrote that more than 100 employees were affected. It added that people had the option not to move.   The reports come in the same week President Joe Biden announced tariffs on $18 billion worth of imports of Chinese electric vehicles and an array of other products. Biden said he was trying to prevent unfair competition from China decimating US industries.   The tech war between the two economic superpowers has been intensifying for years. In October, the Biden administration limited the types of semiconductors that American companies can sell to China.   In recent months, the United States has also enlisted its allies in Europe and Asia in restricting sales of advanced chipmaking equipment to China.   Beijing has hit back by imposing its own curbs on exports of germanium and gallium, two elements essential for making semiconductors.   — From CNN's Diksha Madok Around the region As India's financial capital prepares to vote in the country's massive general election, many residents say they want a fairer share of its wealth – with better education the key to opportunity. Pro-Palestinian protesters occupying a building at the University of Melbourne have been told to leave by university officials, who say they've "crossed a line" by entering the building and disrupting class for thousands of students. Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind gave a riotous performance at Taiwan's presidential office, celebrating her win on "RuPaul's Drag Race" last month. Australian police are seeking two people for allegedly vandalizing a century-old Chinese parade dragon and other valuable artifacts at a museum in a small town known for its historic links to China. A British multinational design and engineering company behind world-famous buildings such as the Sydney Opera House has confirmed that it was the target of a deepfake scam that led to one of its Hong Kong employees paying out $25 million to fraudsters. What did you think of today's email? Send us feedback: meanwhileinchina@cnn.com   You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for Meanwhile in China. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or sign up to manage your CNN account   Learn more about the CNN app |  Get CNN web alerts  |  Sign up for a free CNN account   ® © 2024 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318