Vladimir Putin tried to engage Xi Jinping with eye-contact during their meeting today, but it is clear that the Chinese president is the senior partner in the relationship between the world leaders, according to a body language expert.
The Russian president met his Chinese counterpart for a summit in Beijing on Thursday, where the two leaders reaffirmed a ‘no-limits’ partnership that has grown deeper as both countries face deepening tensions with the west.
During Putin’s two-day state visit to one of his strongest allies, he thanked Xi for his effort to resolve the Ukraine conflict – as his country’s forces are pressing an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The largely symbolic visit stressed partnership between two countries who both face challenges in their relationship with the US and Europe.
But amid the deepening partnership between the two nations, body language expert and author of 26 books on the subject Judi James said the meeting was perhaps more one-sided than Putin would want the world to believe.
The Russian employed subtle ways to show the bond between the two despots, Ms James said. But Xi, she noted, ‘didn’t get the memo.’
Russian president Vladimir Putin met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for a summit in Beijing today. According to body language expert Judi James, the meeting was somewhat one-sided
‘One leader will put themselves out in terms of travel or how far they walk to greet their guest, or employ dominance signals like Trump’s infamous ‘Power shakes’ or even power-patting,’ she explained.
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However, she added: ‘When world leaders want to show active and often strategic alliances there will often be mutual body language acts of ingratiation to signal profound bonding to the rest of the world.
‘Putin clearly takes heed of these rituals here but Xi’s responses suggest he didn’t get the memo or read the rule books in terms of mutually active ingratiation rituals.
‘There are clearly cultural differences to take into consideration, but the overall result makes Putin look keener to ingratiate and show bonds [with his counterpart] here than a […] higher status-looking Xi does,’ who Ms James says was ‘merely polite’.
‘Putin has firstly travelled to China for the meeting and he is also the one using the facial expressions and attentive signals of active friendship or collusion here.’
Analysing a photograph showing a handshake between the leaders, Ms James said there was a noticeable difference in how Putin and Xi approached it.
Most analysts and commentators agree that Putin needs this relationship more than Xi
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchange bilateral documents during a meeting in Beijing, China May 16, 2024
In the photograph, ‘Xi faces front with his arm lifted out to one side away from his torso and held palm-up to clasp Putin’s hand,’ she said.
‘His expression looks polite but his smile appears aimed at the cameras.’
‘Putin’s smile is more pronounced, with raised and rounded cheeks, and his arm is held across his body, making his handshake an attempt look more personal here.’
It was also clear that there was a difference between the leaders as they walked side-by-side, with a photo showing Putin leaning in to talk with the much taller Xi, in attempt to get the Chinese leader’s attention.
‘As the two men walk side-by-side Xi seems to stride out, looking ahead and looking massively self-assured,’ Ms James said.
‘Putin seems to be actively trying to engage him in conversation here but the pose suggests it is Putin talking while Xi is the higher-status listener.
‘Putin is using eye contact in what looks like a bid to get Xi’s attention and although Chinese business body language suggests looking down while the other person is talking can be a sign of respect, Xi is looking ahead here rather than down.’
She added: ‘Putin’s expression looks almost impish here, with a raised brow and eye-smile as he raises on hand to gesticulate.’
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping attend an official welcoming ceremony in front of the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square in Beijing today
In another photograph, Putin and Xi were seen exchanging documents.
Ms James said there was some ‘mirroring’ as the documents exchanged hands, but that it was again Putin seeking Xi’s attention.
‘As they exchange documents there is some mirroring in terms of their smiles here,’ she said. ‘But again it is only Putin using eye contact.
‘When the two men shake hands [again] on the steps at Beijing it is again Putin vying to achieve eye-engagement while Xi looks away,’ she added.
Most analysts and commentators agree that Putin needs this relationship with China more than Xi needs his country’s relationship with Russia.
China has proved an economic lifeline for Russia after The West slapped Moscow with unprecedented sanctions over Ukraine, and Putin has spoken very highly of his Chinese counterpart while waxing lyrical over his admiration for Chinese culture – even commenting that members of his family are learning Mandarin.
But both Putin and Xi want to show a united front in the face of pressure from the US, said Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor who studies Chinese foreign policy at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
‘Both sides want to show that despite what is happening globally, despite the pressure that both sides are facing from the U.S., both sides are not about to turn their backs on each other anytime soon,’ he told the Associated Press.
While both leaders said they were seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, they offered no new specifics in their public remarks Thursday afternoon. China has significant influence as a key supporter of Russia its invasion.
The country claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but it has backed Moscow’s contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, and continues to supply Russia with key components that Moscow needs for its productions of weapons.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping attend an official welcoming ceremony in front of the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square in Beijing
China proposed a broadly worded peace plan in 2023, but it was rejected by both Ukraine and the West for failing to call for Russia to leave occupied parts of Ukraine.
‘China hopes for the early return of Europe to peace and stability and will continue to play a constructive role toward this,’ Xi said, speaking alongside Putin.
His words were an echo of what China said last year when it first offered a broad plan for peace outlining general principles for ending the war in Ukraine.
Putin said he will inform the Chinese leader in detail about ‘the situation in Ukraine,’ and said ‘we appreciate the initiative of our Chinese colleagues and friends to regulate the situation.’ He added that the two planned to engage in further foreign policy discussions at an informal meeting later Thursday.