[People News] According to state media, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping quietly returned to Beijing on a special plane at midnight on October 24 after the BRICS Summit. This summit was the largest held in Russia since Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Since facing restrictions due to an international arrest warrant and limitations on travel abroad, Putin saw this as a rare chance to showcase himself on the global stage.

However, during this summit, the Chinese side did not publicly emphasize its contributions to developing countries, nor did it make grand statements about “success” or “significant achievements.” Instead, Xi’s return felt subdued and low-key, even somber.

Key points from the summit:

1. Xi, Modi, and Putin Discuss the Russia-Ukraine War

This Kazan summit, seen as an attempt by Putin to demonstrate that Russia is not isolated internationally, received support from Xi and others to boost Russian morale. According to foreign media, they discussed the Ukraine conflict, though it was not a primary summit topic.

Indian Prime Minister Modi told Putin he hoped for peace in Ukraine. Western allies have urged India to more actively persuade Moscow to end the war, but while Modi avoided condemning Russia, he emphasized a peaceful resolution. “We fully support establishing peace and stability as soon as possible,” Modi said.

Russia’s forces, still advancing on the Eastern Ukrainian front, control about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea (annexed in 2014), approximately 80% of the Donbas region, and over 70% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Putin has stated that Moscow would not negotiate away the four occupied regions in Eastern Ukraine, asserting these areas are now part of Russia. He also insisted that Europe must consider Russia’s long-term security interests.

Xi advocated for a “rapid de-escalation” in Ukraine, outlining three principles: “no spillover beyond the battlefield, no escalation of conflict, and restraint from all sides.” China has sought to sway developing nations towards its stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Ukraine, however, has proposed different solutions, suggesting China is following Moscow’s instructions and attempting to prevent Ukraine from reclaiming Russian-occupied land and to legitimize the invasion.

Putin has mentioned that proposals by China and Brazil could potentially serve as a basis for ending the war, with widespread belief that China remains Russia’s primary supporter in the conflict.

The Kazan Declaration contained only brief mentions of the Russia-Ukraine war, supporting mediation and diplomacy to resolve conflicts.

2. Xi Jinping’s 'Generational Friendship' with Russia Sparks Doubts

Xi warmly addressed Putin as a “dear old friend,” and Putin likewise referred to Xi as a “dear friend.”

During their meeting, Putin described the relationship between Moscow and Beijing as “a key stabilizing factor on the world stage,” and vowed to expand coordination across all multilateral platforms “for global stability and a fair world order.”

Xi remarked, “Currently, the world is experiencing changes unseen in a century, with international turmoil intertwined. However, the deep, generational friendship between China and Russia remains steadfast.”

The phrase “generational friendship” sparked online controversy. Many pointed out that, historically, Tsarist Russia was far from friendly to China, signing unequal treaties like the Treaty of Peking, the Treaty of Nerchinsk, and the Treaty of Aigun, which resulted in significant territorial losses for China. When Jiang Zemin signed a border protocol with Russia in 1999, he was criticized by the public and viewed as compromising Chinese territory.

Some criticized Xi’s “generational friendship” rhetoric as “a selective blindness to history, ignoring Tsarist Russia’s land grabs and massacres of Chinese people.”

The Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s under Mao Zedong saw China denounce the Soviet Union as revisionist, with the two countries even on the verge of armed conflict. The two nations remained estranged until the Soviet collapse in the 1990s, which spurred alarm within the CCP. Xi himself has lamented the lack of intervention to save the USSR.

However, the Xi-Putin friendship today may be rooted in shared ambitions to counter the West and assert global leadership. Their announcement of a desire to “build a just world order” indicates their intention to challenge the current international order, with Russia seeking to end its isolation and China to challenge the U.S. by building alliances.

There is also speculation that if Russia and China did succeed against the West, competition for global leadership could lead to a conflict between the two, as self-interest could drive them to fight for dominance.

3. Subtle Shifts in China-Russia Relations

At the BRICS summit, Xi and Putin merely shook hands, without the embraces Putin extended to Indian Prime Minister Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Media footage showed that Xi and Putin appeared restrained compared to the joviality between Putin, Modi, and Ramaphosa, which seemed out of place for “old friends” who have met over 40 times.

Notably, they also avoided mentioning “limitless cooperation.”

In 2022, after Putin’s visit to China, both countries issued a joint statement declaring their “friendship has no limits, and cooperation has no forbidden areas.”

Recently, however, Chinese statements on Sino-Russian relations have rarely included the term “limitless,” likely due to international backlash or China’s concern about the impact of support for Russia on its own interests.

When Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov visited Beijing in mid-October, he only met with Dong Jun and Zhang Youxia, rather than Xi Jinping, which was a deviation from the usual protocol.

Another subtle change in China-Russia relations emerged when Xi departed Kazan. He was sent off by the head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, and a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, a downgrade from the reception he received upon arrival, which was on par with the treatment given to Li Qiang. This shift may suggest that Xi’s contributions fell short of Russian expectations or that Putin felt unsatisfied with the outcome. Overall, Xi’s departure carried a muted, somber tone.