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Updated March 13th, 2023 at 14:40 IST

China President Xi Jinping planning visit to Russia next week, to meet Vladimir Putin

Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to travel to Russia to meet his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as soon as next week, media reports have suggested.

Reported by: Digital Desk
China-Russia Xi-Putin
Image: AP | Image:self
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Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly intending to visit Russia to meet his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as early as next week, suggest media reports citing sources familiar with the matter. This would be sooner than previously anticipated. The visit plans come at a time when China has been offering to mediate peace talks in Ukraine. However, this has been viewed with doubt in the West, considering China's diplomatic backing for Russia.

Towards the end of 2022, on December 30, during a video meeting that was broadcasted by Russian television, Putin invited Xi to visit Moscow next spring. Putin, at the tine, added that the two countries would strengthen cooperation between their armed forces, and pointed to growth in trade despite “unfavorable market conditions.” Bilateral relations are “the best in history, and withstand all tests,” he said. “We share the same views on the causes, course and logic of the ongoing transformation of the global geopolitical landscape," reported Sputnik.

"I have no doubt that we will find an opportunity to meet with you in person. We are waiting for you, dear Mr. Chairman, dear friend, we are waiting for you to come next spring with a state visit to Moscow," Putin told Xi during the video call. This visit will demonstrate to the world the strength of Russian-Chinese ties on key issues and become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations, Putin had added.

China's Wang Yi meets Putin in Moscow

China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last month on February 22 as the two countries reaffirmed their close bilateral ties just days ahead of the first anniversary of the start of the conflict in Ukraine. In a brief televised statement, Wang Yi stated that China and Russia were prepared to further deepen their strategic cooperation. Earlier on the same day, he had met with Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, where he expressed his expectation to achieve a "new consensus" on advancing the relationship between the two allies.

Putin remarked that "Russian-Chinese relations were proceeding as planned," and spoke of achieving "new milestones" in areas such as bilateral trade. Putin also stated that the two countries were collaborating in international affairs, and expressed Russia's gratitude to China.

Putin described the international situation as "quite complicated," and said that Sino-Russian cooperation was "important for stabilizing the international situation." Wang said that "a crisis is always an opportunity," and that the Sino-Russian relationship was "never dictated by any third parties." Both leaders emphasized the significance of "multipolar" approaches to international affairs - a worldview that opposes what China describes as the US's "unipolar" approach to dominating global leadership.

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Published March 13th, 2023 at 14:39 IST

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