CNN
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Chinese language chief Xi Jinping will go to Russia subsequent week on the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, the Chinese language International Ministry introduced Friday.
It will likely be Xi’s first go to to Moscow since Putin launched his devastating invasion of Ukraine greater than a yr in the past.
In the course of the go to, Xi and Putin will talk about “strategic cooperation” between the 2 international locations, based on the Kremlin.
“In the course of the talks, topical problems with additional growth of complete partnership relations and strategic cooperation between Russia and China shall be mentioned,” the Kremlin stated in an announcement Friday.
“An change of views can be deliberate within the context of deepening Russian-Chinese language cooperation within the worldwide area,” the Kremlin added. “A lot of necessary bilateral paperwork shall be signed.”
The go to comes as China tries to current itself as a impartial peace dealer on Ukraine, however the effort has been met with skepticism in Western capitals on account of Beijing’s rising partnership with Moscow.
Xi and Putin declared a “no-limits” friendship in February final yr, when the Russian chief visited Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
Weeks later, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.
Since then, China has refused to sentence Russia’s invasion – or referred to it as such, as a substitute blaming the advance of NATO for frightening the battle and repeating the Kremlin’s stance.
It has additionally supplied diplomatic help for Moscow, whereas strengthening financial and navy ties to its northern neighbor.
In latest weeks western officers have begun publicly elevating issues that China could also be contemplating offering Russia with deadly navy help, an accusation denied by Beijing.
Final month, Putin hosted China’s high diplomat Wang Yi in Moscow simply days earlier than the anniversary of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The high-profile go to was broadly believed to be a precursor to a gathering between Putin and Xi.
Putin instructed Wang relations between his nation and China are “reaching new milestones,” whereas Wang vowed to “additional strengthen our complete strategic partnership.”
Wang arrived in Moscow after US officers went public with issues about how China’s persevering with partnership with Russia might have an effect on the warfare in Ukraine — and hours after Putin made a significant speech on the battle, by which he introduced plans to droop Russia’s involvement in its final remaining nuclear arms treaty with the US.
Putin and Xi final held a digital assembly in December, by which the Russian chief described relations between the 2 nations as “the most effective in historical past,” saying they might “stand up to all assessments.” Putin additionally invited Xi to go to Moscow within the spring of 2023.
The 2 leaders has solid a detailed private connection, with Xi describing Putin as a “finest good friend” in 2019. Xi has met Putin in particular person 39 instances since turning into China’s chief, most lately in September throughout a summit in central Asia.