The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that President Xi Jinping has accepted an invitation from President Vladimir Putin to visit Russia next week. This will be Xi's first visit to Moscow since Putin's controversial invasion of Ukraine over a year ago.
๐๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ "๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป"
The Kremlin stated that the discussions during the visit will center around the "strategic cooperation" between the two nations.
The Kremlin, in a statement on Friday, said: โDuring the talks, topical issues of further development of comprehensive partnership relations and strategic cooperation between Russia and China will be discussed."
โAn exchange of views is also planned in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena. A number of important bilateral documents will be signed," it further added.
๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ
As China strives to position itself as an unbiased mediator to broker peace in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Western capitals remain skeptical due to the strengthening ties between Beijing and Moscow. The high-level visit to Russia is an attempt to bolster its image as a neutral party, but its efficacy is being questioned by Western nations.
Notably, last year during the Winter Olympics' opening ceremony, Putin visited Beijing, and both leaders proclaimed a bond of boundless friendship.
Few weeks later, Ukrainian territories were invaded by Russian tanks. China, however, has failed to condemn Russia's invasion, instead attributing the conflict to NATO's provocative actions and echoing the Kremlin's position. In addition, China has backed Russia diplomatically and enhanced its economic and military relations with its northern ally.
