Xi Jinping holds talks with Vladimir Putin on SCO sidelines in Kazakhstan

Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the second time in less than two months on Wednesday, making him the world leader with the most frequent contact with the isolated Russian strongman.

Xi and Putin met in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which both leaders are attending.

It was the fifth face-to-face meeting between the two men since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the second since Putin was re-elected in March.

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In May, Putin and Xi vowed to deepen the "comprehensive strategic partnership" between China and Russia, including strengthening defence and military ties. At the same time, China has expanded its presence in Central Asia, traditionally part of Russia's sphere of influence.

Last year, China overtook Russia to become Kazakhstan's biggest trading partner, with two-way trade topping US$41 billion.

In a sign of that growing relationship, Xi also held talks on Wednesday with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, backing Astana's bid to join Brics, marking a further expansion of the China-Russia-led club that is rivalling the Group of Seven in economic strength.

"China is ready to work closely with Kazakhstan within the framework of the United Nations and other multilateral organisations, to practice genuine multilateralism and to safeguard the common interests of the two countries and of developing countries," Xi was quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying.

"China supports Kazakhstan in joining the Brics cooperation mechanism, playing the role of a 'middle power' on the international stage and making its due contribution to global governance."

Xi also vowed deeper economic and technological cooperation with Kazakhstan, ranging from traditional energy, agriculture and minerals to the new fields such as "electric vehicles, new energy, cross-border e-commerce, and satellite communications".

Xi, who last visited Kazakhstan in September 2022, also called for deepening transport connections with the landlocked Central Asian country and more frequent people-to-people exchanges.

Tokayev said cooperation between China and Kazakhstan was in a "golden era".

"Deepening friendly and strategic cooperation with China is an unswerving strategic priority for Kazakhstan," Xinhua quoted Tokayev as saying.

He added that Astana would strengthen its economic cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, China's massive global infrastructure push.

Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Russia Eurasia Centre at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Kazakhstan and Tajikistan were "unique partners for China in security dimensions".

"I think what Xi Jinping is doing is trying to get maximum out of his visit to the region," he said.

Kazakhstan shares a border of more than 1,700km (1,056 miles) with the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in China's northwest, and Astana has been seen as a major partner by Beijing in its crackdown on terrorism in Xinjiang.

Beijing launched the crackdown in 2016 after what it said was decades of ethnic tensions and unrest in Xinjiang, as well as cross-border terrorism militant activities.

Kazakhstan was also one of the five original members of the "Shanghai Five" bloc that later became the SCO following the accession of Uzbekistan in 2001.

The group has since expanded its membership to India, Pakistan and Iran, and allowed several countries including Turkey and Saudi Arabia to join as dialogue partners. Its functions have also expanded to cover broader issues, including industrial chain security and economic cooperation.

Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at Renmin University, said Kazakhstan had been seeking closer links with China in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, especially on the economic front.

"Astana hopes to balance [dependence on Russia] with China's help because since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Central Asian countries have had a growing sense of insecurity," he said.

Wang added that Kazakhstan was looking to China to upgrade its production capacity, introduce more digital technology and develop e-commerce.

The total value of Chinese direct investment in Kazakhstan amounted to nearly US$7 billion by the end of 2021, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

Astana has also been a big promoter of a railway route linking China to Europe via Kazakhstan, giving the landlocked nation access to the sea.

The railway is part of what is known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which moves goods through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and the Black Sea to Europe - skipping Russia.

Many European and Chinese traders, out of fears of sanctions or of being seen as friendly with Russia, are also eyeing the Caspian Sea route.

Xi threw his support behind the route in 2022, vowing to expedite construction of the Caspian Sea route under the Belt and Road Initiative.

On Wednesday, Xi and Tokayev took part in the opening of the China-Europe Trans-Caspian Express via video link, witnessing the arrival of the first Chinese trucks by the highway at a Caspian Sea port.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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