'Very bad optics for Kremlin': Putin's China visit regarded as 'crisis & relations management trip'

Delano D'Souza is pleased to welcome Dr. Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Latvian Institute of International Affairs. She argues that “whichever way you slice it, this is very bad optics for the Kremlin,” framing the visit less as a confident display of a strong, vibrant alliance and more as “a crisis and relations management trip.” She cuts through the ceremonial language surrounding Sino-Russian relations to expose the asymmetries, anxieties, and strategic calculations right beneath the surface. Although she acknowledges the durability of the partnership, noting the “30th anniversary of their strategic partnership” and Putin’s “25th official visit to China”, she warns against accepting Moscow’s narrative at face value.

“Russia wants to say that China’s on its side, even though it’s not fully on its side”, highlighting the careful ambiguity that defines Beijing’s position on the war in Ukraine. For Dr. Bērziņa-Čerenkova, symbolism matters as much as policy, where “optics of weakness” can coexist with declarations of eternal friendship, and where Beijing and Moscow present themselves not as disruptors, but as guardians of “global stability.”