Chinese leader Xi Jinping will pay an official visit to Russia from Wednesday through Saturday, the Kremlin and Foreign Ministry in Beijing said Sunday, with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold talks on bolstering their “no-limits” partnership even further.
Xi, who had already been among the world leaders set to attend a Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday, will visit at the invitation of Putin, according to both governments.
In addition to attending celebrations marking the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said the two leaders’ bilateral talks will focus on “core aspects” of the “further advancement” of Russia and China’s strategic partnership as well as “pressing matters on the international and regional agendas.”
The Kremlin said Xi and Putin will also sign a number of bilateral documents.
The trip will be Xi’s third to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Just weeks before the invasion, Putin traveled to Beijing, ostensibly for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, where he and Xi also agreed to dramatically expand their partnership.
Xi and Putin also met in May and October of last year, agreeing to create a "new era" of partnership between the United States’ two most powerful rivals while proclaiming their firm opposition to the United States on a number of security issues, including the fate of Taiwan and Ukraine.
Beijing says it remains neutral on the Ukraine war though it has also supported Moscow’s view that Russia’s actions were provoked by NATO’s expansion. The United States also says China continues to send key crucial dual-use components to Russia that can be used in arms production.
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