LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is in Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping just days after President Trump's own visit to China. Putin got the same pageantry that Trump did - military marching band, the cannon salute and smiling children waving flags. Putin says Russia's ties with China are at a, quote, "unprecedentedly" high level already. NPR's China correspondent, Jennifer Pak, joins us with more from Shanghai. Hi, Jennifer.
JENNIFER PAK, BYLINE: Hi, Leila.
FADEL: So what is Putin's visit about? Is this all about selling more oil and natural gas to China?
PAK: Well, energy is a big part of it. China has become an economic lifeline for Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and now China is relying more on Russian energy supplies since the Strait of Hormuz is still effectively shut. So they're expected to discuss a pipeline project where talks have stalled and - along with dozens of other business deals.
More broadly, the two sides agreed to extend a strategic cooperation agreement, and at the same time, this is a good time, according to the Kremlin, for Putin to talk to Xi about what was actually discussed between him and President Trump when it came to Ukraine, Iran. And during the talks with Putin, Xi once again called for the hostilities in the Middle East to stop. Xi told Putin that the world has become more fluid and turbulent with what he calls a resurgence of unilateralism and hegemonism - things that China has accused the U.S. of in the past - a not-so-subtle dig at the U.S.
FADEL: Speaking of, we're getting a drip feed of the deal made between Trump and Xi. Where are we at here?
PAK: So it's still in the preliminary stages, but today, China's Ministry of Commerce's Chen Chao elaborated a bit more. He confirmed China will buy 200 Boeing jets. He confirmed the U.S. will provide jet engines and much-needed parts to China. He also confirmed that China will resume U.S. poultry exports and also licenses for American slaughterhouses in the beef industry, though he didn't specify how many. And more crucially, China has not confirmed that it will buy $17 billion worth in agricultural products from the U.S. It also did not confirm whether the two sides have agreed to extend the current trade truce reached last year, and also gave no specifics about rare earths to the U.S.
FADEL: There's this meeting with Xi and Putin right now, Xi and Trump before that. Xi was also meeting with Iran's foreign minister recently. I mean, it seems like China is at the center of the global stage.
PAK: (Laughter) Exactly. This is a sentiment that was noted by a reporter on Chinese state-run CCTV. He says the Great Hall of the People in Beijing has really become an international reception hall. China has wanted to project itself as a stable world leader. When it welcomed Trump last week, China wanted to be treated as a near peer. It had showed itself over the last year that it doesn't have to capitulate to the U.S. And so with Putin, China is also trying to show that it doesn't forget its old friends, as he has called Putin.
FADEL: That's NPR's Jennifer Pak in Shanghai. Thank you, Jennifer.
PAK: Thanks, Leila. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
