Russia's Lavrov Meets China's Xi in Beijing

Image copyright: Naohiko Hatta-Pool/Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images (April 23, 2018)

The Facts

  • China's Pres. Xi Jinping and Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov met in Beijing on Tuesday, state media reported, with the Chinese leader stressing the importance of China-Russia relations.

  • At the meeting, they reportedly discussed preparations for a state visit of Vladimir Putin to China, which is expected to take place later this year, among other issues.


The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

While the latest push to defrost US-China relations has been somewhat successful, Beijing's growing alignment with Moscow poses a significant threat to that goal. It's entirely unacceptable that Chinese companies have provided material support for Putin's war against Ukraine.

Establishment-critical narrative

What is unacceptable is that Washington wants to meddle in the foreign policy of sovereign countries as well as in the legitimate business of foreign companies as if America had either the authority or moral high ground to dictate what they can do. China-Russia relations must be respected, instead of smeared.


Metaculus Prediction


Go Deeper


Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO