Chinese president's trip to fortify military ties with Russia
President heads to Moscow in a push to bolster strategic links between the two countries as ties between the US and Japan grow ever stronger
China and Russia are tipped to cement military ties when President Xi Jinping visits Moscow this week, expanding their strategic partnership to form a de facto alliance.
The move would consolidate their united front as the United States and Japan continued to strengthen their partnership, observers said.
Xi is due to arrive in Moscow on Friday for a three-day trip after a stop in Kazakhstan. Among the deals expected to be signed in the Russian capital are ones on deliveries of Russian natural gas to China, aviation, and the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, a Chinese plan to boost economic and infrastructure links between Asia and Europe.
But the centrepieces of the trip will be a military parade in Moscow for the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war, and discussions on Sino-Russian military cooperation.
The defence ministry announced last week that the two nations would conduct a joint naval drill in the Mediterranean Sea this month. In all, nine vessels would be involved, including Chinese ships on anti-piracy patrols off the Somali coast.
The ministry denied the drill was aimed at any third country, but analysts said the drill and the deals were a signal to the world that Russia and China were forming a de facto alliance.
Li Lifan, from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said: "While it may be premature to say that the expansion is aimed at countering the US-Japanese alliance, the military cooperation is necessary if the two sides are to develop a full partnership."
Beijing-based retired general Xu Guangyu said China and Russia did not want to form a military alliance. Instead, they were developing their "all-round strategic partnership", which covered "political, economic, security and diplomatic" issues.
"China's arms deals with Russia and their joint naval drills in the Mediterranean Sea indicate the two countries are taking real action to implement such an all-round strategic partnership, and Western countries should get used to this intensive military cooperation," Xu said.
Anatoly Isaikin, chief executive of Russian state-run arms trader Rosoboronexport, confirmed last month that China had agreed to buy the company's S-400 air defence system, the reported.
While Russia needed foreign funds after the West imposed sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, China also hoped to acquire the latest weapons to match its status as a world power, Ni Lexiong, a Shanghai-based military commentator, said.
Da Zhigang, an international relations expert at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said Xi's visit was important not only as a gauge of post-war development but also to consolidate cooperation in the de facto alliance.
"It can also help speed up economic development in Asia and Europe through the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative," Da said.
