Chinese President Xi Jinping, on an invite from Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be visiting Russia and the visit is likely to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“This year, Russia and China will join efforts to enhance and promote further bilateral relations between the two governments. As you know, Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping on an official visit this spring,” the Russian foreign ministry told Russia’s state news agency TASS.
According to the statement, Kremlin will “proceed from the understanding that this will be the central event in the bilateral agenda for 2023”. This would be the second in-person meeting between Jinping and Putin since the war began in February.
The meeting could signal the deepening of ties between the two countries. While western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia in wake of the war, China has helped keep the Russian economy afloat by continuing to trade with the country.
The Chinese government is yet to confirm Xi's visit. Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told RIA News, a Russian state-owned news agency, “China and Russia maintain close cooperation at various levels to promote the development of bilateral relations and to contribute to the support of peace and development in the entire world.”
Putin, in December openly invited Jinping to visit Russia in the spring. He also justified his invasion of Ukraine by citing concerns about NATO. China, in November, had criticised Russia's move to invade Ukraine.
