China ties with Russia set to deepen after Putin election win

Putin faced no genuine competition on the way to what state media reported was a record landslide win -- one that paves the way for the former spy to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than 200 years.

Both he and Xi, who often tout their deep friendship, have torn up political convention to secure unprecedentedly long terms in power.

In a congratulatory message reported by Beijing's state broadcaster CCTV, Xi told Putin his re-election "fully reflects the support of the Russian people for you".

"I believe that under your leadership, Russia will be able to achieve greater achievements in national development and construction," Xi said.

For his part, Putin heaped praise on Beijing on Monday, saying he was "sure that in the coming years we will only strengthen and build up our relations", Russian state news agency TASS reported.

"The most important thing is the coincidence of state interests. This creates a very good tone for solving common problems in the field of international relations," Putin reportedly said.

Ties between Beijing and Moscow have deepened even as Putin's invasion of Ukraine has roiled Moscow's relations with Western nations.

China has notably refused to condemn Russia's attack on its European neighbour, calling for peace negotiations and a general end to hostilities.

Western nations have argued that the equivocation has given Putin much-needed political and diplomatic cover to wage an unprovoked war of aggression.

- 'New paradigm' -

Once socialist allies, China and Russia endured a tempestuous relationship during the last century but have since drawn closer, and their friendship has come to represent a bulwark against the US-led West.

The two sides depict their relationship as a union of equals and a shining example for other countries to emulate, with Beijing's foreign minister this month hailing "a new paradigm for major power relations" that differed "completely" from the Cold War era.

The relationship rests on "the basis of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties", Wang Yi said during annual political meetings in Beijing.

Wang Yiwei, professor of international studies at Beijing's Renmin University of China, said the partnership "means not only that China and Russia don't come into conflict with each other, but also that... they don't gang up to confront others, such as NATO".

Instead, he said, the two nations maintain "a kind of strategic collaboration" that serves "common interests such as a multipolar world and global strategic stability on the Eurasian continent".

But Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said ties were not so evenly balanced in practice.

"The 'new paradigm', especially when contrasted to the Cold War, is one where (China) is the senior partner... and Russia the junior partner," he told AFP.

"Neither Moscow nor Beijing have a firm alliance commitment to each other. However, there will be some level of cooperation... especially when it comes to preventing what they see as the United States working against their interests."

- Military, trade ties -

China has denied supplying Russia with arms needed to bludgeon Ukraine, but Western powers allege it is still packing Moscow's war chest in other ways.

Beijing's backing takes the form of "support to Russia's defence industrial base, including by providing dual-use material and components", according to a US intelligence report published last month.

Last week, Chinese and Russian warships held joint naval exercises with Iran, another nation whose ties with the West have frayed in recent years.

Russian news agencies cited Moscow's defence ministry in saying the purpose of the drills was to "work out the safety of maritime economic activity".

"The joint drills with Iran demonstrate that Moscow and Beijing can work with others to complicate US interests," Chong told AFP.

Meanwhile, trade between China and Russia soared to record highs last year, according to official customs figures.

Chong said that bilateral commerce was "one of the elements that helps keep the Russian war machine going in the face of (Western) sanctions".

"This probably helps keep the United States and its allies... less focused on Asia and (China) than it otherwise could be, relieving some pressure on Beijing," he added.

"In return, Beijing is getting cheap fossil fuels and also key military technologies from Russia."