Putin to visit China on May 16-17, meet Xi

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on May 16-17 to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, the state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported on May 14, citing the Kremlin's press service.

This would be Putin's first trip abroad since he was inaugurated for his fifth term in office after the March election, widely seen as rigged.

Xi and Putin plan to discuss a range of issues regarding their bilateral partnership and strategic interaction and identify key areas for future cooperation, the Kremlin's statement read.

The two leaders are expected to sign a joint statement and a number of bilateral documents.

Putin will also meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and visit the city of Harbin to take part in the opening ceremony of the eighth Russian-Chinese EXPO and the fourth Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation.

Putin previously visited China last October to attend the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

China officially declares itself a neutral party to Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, but Washington has continued to sound the alarm on Beijing's support of Moscow's defense industry.

Beijing has also become Russia's economic lifeline amid tightening Western sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

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The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek