A clear signal to Putin: China could cut off Russia's money supply. Only recently did Chinese central banks restrict payment transactions with Russia.
The focus of the latest talks between Russia and China is the possibility of China lending in the Russian banking sector. The Chinese lenders have replaced Western banks that Russia no longer supports due to international sanctions and pressure from its own countries. But that could soon be over: three out of four major Chinese state banks – including ICBC – announced they would no longer accept payments from sanctioned Russian financial institutions.