The Irish Times view on Putin in Beijing: Xi's vital role

Vladimir Putin's visit to China last week, his first foreign trip since starting a fifth presidential term, demonstrated the strength and growing importance of his friendship with Xi Jinping. And it reaffirmed their shared determination to protect what they assert to be their legitimate security interests from American military deterrence and economic sanctions. The two leaders did not repeat the declaration of a "no limits" friendship they made just before Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But a joint statement made clear that, despite western appeals to Xi, the war has brought Russia and China closer together. Russia last year…