Putin Wishes Trump and Xi Jinping a Happy Birthday, but Party Media Remains Silent

File Photo: Putin and Xi Jinping Posing for a Photograph

[People News] On the morning of June 15, a Russian news agency reported that Vladimir Putin's assistant for international affairs, Ushakov, disclosed that President Putin called U.S. President Donald Trump on June 14 (U.S. time) to congratulate him on his 80th birthday. Last year, Putin also extended his birthday wishes to Trump when he turned 79.

Notably, this year, Putin not only proactively called Trump to wish him a happy birthday but also included a message on the Kremlin's website stating, "Dear Mr President, I sincerely congratulate you—this talented and outstanding individual and politician—on your 80th birthday!" Such a thoughtful gesture from Putin surely delighted Trump.

Reports indicate that the conversation lasted 55 minutes and was characterised as "friendly and frank." This marked the 13th call between the two since Trump returned to the presidency. Furthermore, Russian state media revealed that Trump informed Putin that the U.S.-Iran agreement is nearing completion and stressed the importance of resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, offering his assistance. Putin expressed satisfaction regarding the impending conclusion of the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Following his birthday wishes to Trump, the Russian news agency published Putin's congratulatory message to Xi Jinping on the afternoon of June 15, coinciding with the birthday of the Chinese Communist Party leader. The message was made available on the Kremlin's official website. In his message, Putin expressed: "I sincerely wish you, my dear friend, good health and all the best, and I hope you achieve new successes in your state affairs."

Additionally, Putin discussed the relationship between the two countries and praised Xi Jinping, stating that under his leadership, "China is achieving remarkable accomplishments and continuously consolidating its position on the international stage." Many Chinese people, who are currently facing overwhelming challenges, are likely to disagree with Putin's remarks, as the international status of the increasingly isolated Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is on the decline.

On the same day, the Russian news agency reported that Putin plans to meet with Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which will take place from November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen, China.

However, Xi Jinping, referred to by Putin as a "dear friend," did not publicly acknowledge this congratulatory message as Trump did. As of 8 PM Beijing time, the CCP's official media had not reported on Putin's congratulatory message at all.

Previously, the CCP's official media stated that the current high level of Sino-Russian relations is largely due to the strategic leadership of the two heads of state. "In recent years, the two leaders have engaged in frequent interactions, taking high-speed trains together, watching games together, and celebrating birthdays together, which has fostered many friendly anecdotes and established a deep personal friendship." According to public reports from the CCP's official media, Putin has repeatedly wished Xi a happy birthday, and Xi has also wished Putin a happy birthday on multiple occasions.

For instance, on June 15, 2023, Putin sent a congratulatory message to Xi Jinping, wishing him a happy birthday. This information was released by Ushakov, the Russian presidential aide for international affairs, who had previously revealed that Putin had also congratulated Trump on his birthday. He remarked, 'June 15 is the birthday of a close friend of our country—the leader of the People's Republic of China. Our president sent him a very warm congratulatory message.' 

On June 15, 2022, nearly four months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Putin proactively called Xi to extend birthday wishes. On Xi's 66th birthday in 2019, prior to attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Tajikistan, Putin personally congratulated him and gifted him Russian ice cream and a birthday cake. 

As for Putin's birthday wishes to Xi, Chinese state media occasionally report on it, but at other times they choose to remain silent, particularly over the past three years, during which there have been no reports from state media. What could be the reason for this? 

Taking this year as an example, I believe there are three main reasons. First, given the frequent reports about Xi's health issues, Putin's wish for Xi's 'good health' in his congratulatory message could easily lead those in the know to speculate: Is there a serious health problem with Xi? To avoid such implications, it is simply not mentioned; the absence of reporting in 2023 is also due to this concern. Furthermore, during Xi's recent visit to North Korea, when North Korean soldiers wished him 'good health,' it has already prompted sensitive observers to speculate about potential underlying issues.

The second reason is that after Putin congratulated Trump, he also extended his congratulations to Xi, praising Trump as an 'outstanding figure and politician' and expressing agreement on the resolution of the Iran issue. This made the Communist Party of China (CPC) feel uncomfortable, yet they were unable to voice their discontent. Deep down, Xi harbours fear and dislike towards Trump, which likely makes him reluctant to associate himself with Trump regarding the birthday issue, leading him to deliberately downplay Putin's congratulatory message.

The third reason is likely tied to internal pressures within the upper echelons of the CPC. With ongoing power struggles among the CPC leadership, Xi's authority being unstable, and increasing resentment towards him across the mainland, he cannot celebrate his birthday as flamboyantly as he did a few years ago.

Regardless of the reason, the CPC's decision not to publicise Putin's congratulatory message clearly indicates Xi Jinping's current predicament, which is entirely comparable to his power status five or six years ago.

(First published by People News) △