A meeting of equals? Putin feted in China but Xi key to Russia's economy

Russian leader's trip to Beijing came at the cost of considerable economic concessions

- Jonathan Eyal Global Affairs Correspondent

LONDON - Russian President Vladimir Putin has every reason to feel satisfied with his latest visit to China.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in the northern city of Tianjin, the Russian leader was a star attraction, one moment holding hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the next minute embracing Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The sight of Mr Putin conversing and joking as an equal with the leaders of the world's two most populous nations served not only as proof that Russia has successfully defied the isolation imposed by the West, but also that it remains a member of the world's most exclusive club of powerful countries.

Mr Putin's subsequent arrival at the Tiananmen Square parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II by walking in step with President Xi and immediately to the right of the Chinese leader - the top position in diplomatic protocol - further cemented the Russian President's stature.

So, when Mr Putin hailed on Sept 2 his ties with Beijing as having reached an "unprecedentedly high level", these were more than just polite words.

His triumphal trip to Beijing came at the cost of considerable economic concessions to China, and Russia's liabilities may well mount in the years to come.

Western intelligence analysts have spent years debating whether the Putin-Xi relationship is as close as both leaders claim it to be, and whether the Sino-Russian link amounts to a true alliance or is just a "marriage of convenience".

The debate is academically interesting, but otherwise largely irrelevant, as all indications suggest that the two leaders view the world in similar terms and their countries share enduring strategic interests.

Since 2013, when he became China's paramount leader, Mr Xi has publicly met Mr Putin no fewer than 45 times, a record unsurpassed by any other head of state or government.