Russian President to visit China on Thursday and Friday

2024-05-14 09:15:20

Pedro PARDO

(File) Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping

Pedro PARDO

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on Thursday and Friday (16 and 17), his second trip to the Asian country in just over six months, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday.

“At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 16 to 17,” announced ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

This will be the Russian president’s first trip abroad since his re-election in March and the fourth face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

A few days before the start of the military offensive, Russia and China stated that they maintain an “unlimited” friendship. Since then, the diplomatic and commercial relationship between the countries has been intensified.

“President Xi Jinping will exchange views with President Putin on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields and international and regional issues of common interest,” another spokesman, Wang Wenbin, said at a press conference.

The Kremlin indicated that the two presidents intend to discuss “global partnership and strategic cooperation.”

In addition to signing a joint declaration, the two will participate in a ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Kremlin said.

Many analysts point out that Russia is increasingly dependent on China, which has become a crucial economic partner in the face of the avalanche of Western sanctions imposed in response to its military offensive.

In recent months, Beijing has ignored Western criticism over its ties to Moscow while benefiting from cut-price gas and oil imports from the neighboring country.

Trade between China and Russia has soared since the invasion of Ukraine and will reach $240 billion in 2023, according to Beijing.

But Chinese exports to Russia fell in March and April this year due to Washington’s threat to adopt sanctions against financial institutions that support the Russian war effort.