Putin says Russia expects China’s Xi to make a state visit in the spring

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he expects Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a state visit to Russia in the spring of 2023, a public show of solidarity from Beijing amid Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

In his introductory remarks to a video conference between the two leaders broadcast on state television, Putin said: “Dear Mr. President, dear friend, we are waiting for you, we expect you to come to Moscow next spring on a state visit.”

He said the visit would “demonstrate to the world the closeness of Russian-Chinese relations”.

Speaking for about 8 minutes, Putin said Russia-China relations are growing in importance as a stabilizing factor and aimed to deepen military cooperation between the two countries.

In a response that lasted up to a quarter, Xi said China is ready to increase strategic cooperation with Russia.

Relations between Russia and China, hailed by both sides as a “no limits” partnership, have taken a major hit since Moscow sent its armed forces into Ukraine on February 24.

While the West has imposed unprecedented economic sanctions on Russia, China has refrained from condemning Moscow’s military campaign, instead emphasizing the need for peace.

Russian energy exports to China have risen significantly since the outbreak of the conflict, and Russia is now China’s largest oil supplier.

However, Beijing has so far been careful not to provide direct material support that could trigger Western sanctions against China.

At a September summit in Uzbekistan, Putin acknowledged his Chinese counterpart’s “concerns” about the situation in Ukraine.