China is easing trade rules for Russia and has lifted all restrictions on the import of Russian wheat. China is the only major power that has not condemned Putin's military attack on Ukraine.
The Chinese and Russian leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin apparently agreed to this a few weeks ago, during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. The relaxed trade rules were announced on the day Putin started his war against Ukraine.
In the past, Chinese wheat imports from Russia were restricted because Russian wheat was said not to meet China's phytosanitary requirements. In some cases, such rules are 'misused' to protect domestic markets. But now those rules are being relaxed for the Russians.
China's customs agency approved the import of wheat from all Russian regions on February 24, reported Associated Press. This gives Russian President Putin an alternative to Western markets if they are possibly closed under European sanctions.
Russia is one of the world's largest wheat producers but had until now been excluded from exporting to China due to concerns about potential fungi and other contaminations. The fact that trade between the two countries mostly takes place in dollars is an advantage for Russia should the West impose financial blockades.
The increasing trade in agricultural products between the two countries is a new sign of the recent rapprochement between China and Russia. Last year, trade between Russia and China rose by 35 percent to 147 billion dollars.
China's decision is provoking strong reactions in the West, which is trying to persuade Russia to cease its military operation in Ukraine through harsh sanctions.