U.S. policy drives Russia, China summit

MOSCOW » When Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet this week, they will have plenty to talk about thanks to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Xi is traveling to Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East, on Tuesday and Wednesday for an economic conference where he’s expected to meet with Putin, while China joins vast Russian war games for the first time.

Neither side has said what they’ll discuss, but Trump’s policies on trade and North Korea are topics of interest to both Russia and China. And U.S. sanctions on Russia have played a role in driving Russia and China closer together.

The setting is also symbolic — Vladivostok and the Russian Far East are developing close ties with China, including a vast new casino complex aimed at attracting Chinese high-rollers.

“Russia is the first choice for Chinese tourists these days. First of all, people here are nice and warm. Secondly, you come here, and the ruble is falling, so it’s practical,” said local businessman Liu Xing An.

Here is a look at key Russia China issues.

Military exercises

China is sending 3,200 troops to take part in Russia’s vast Vostok (East) military exercises this month. They’re scheduled every four years and some previous versions have modeled scenarios similar to a Russia-China conflict.

“It sends a very strong message to China, saying that Russia doesn’t see China as an adversary or a military threat any more,” says analyst Alexander Gabuev, who follows Russia-China relations for the Carnegie Institute in Moscow.

— THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO On Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a photo at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Qingdao.