This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed participating states in the Belt and Road initiative to Beijing to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Since its inception, the cumulative amount of investment into BRI member countries and regions has surpassed $1 trillion.
Among the leaders visiting Beijing this week to commemorate the anniversary is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
His visit underscores Beijing's continued economic and diplomatic support for Moscow despite the invasion. Furthermore, Putin’s BRI appearance suggests that China will continue to maintain its pro-Russia posture despite claims of neutrality with regards to the conflict. It also shows that the Chinese leadership plans to continue broader cooperation with Moscow to reshape the Indo-Pacific region via BRI, with its inclusive, nonbinding initiatives broadly based on China's “five principles of peaceful coexistence.”