China’s ambassador to Moscow, Zhang Hanhui, confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be visiting China this year. The two countries are working on several meetings between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
What Happened: Zhang, in an interview with Russian state news agency Sputnik, revealed that Putin’s visit to China is in the works and is expected to be a success, reported South China Morning Post.
“Putin's visit to China [this year] will definitely be a success,” said Hanhui.
“China looks forward to his arrival.”
This visit marks Putin’s 19th to China since his presidency began in 2000. The Russian president also announced that the 2024 BRICS Summit of Emerging Economies will take place in Kazan on the Volga River in October. China and Russia are among the original members of the group, which now includes nine nations.
See Also: Donald Trump’s Infamous Hush Money Case Involving Stormy Daniels To Come To Forefront Next Month
Why It Matters: Beijing and Moscow have grown closer in recent years. This relationship was epitomized when Xi and Putin announced a “no-limits” partnership between their nations in Beijing in February 2022. Following this, Xi undertook a state visit to Moscow, and Putin reciprocated by attending the Belt and Road Summit in Beijing.
Despite the sanctions, China and Russia have continued to deepen their economic and strategic ties. Last year, their total trade hit a record high of $240 billion, marking Russia as China’s sixth-largest trading partner. China's yuan also surpassed the U.S. dollar as the most traded foreign currency in Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia has been pushing Ukraine to cede ground to engage in peace talks as the conflict in Kyiv reaches its second anniversary. However, Ukraine's reluctance to engage in peace talks with the Russian President has gained support from Western allies.
Amid these developments, the U.S. Senate has proposed a bipartisan aid package of $118.2 billion for Ukraine, Israel, and U.S. border security, in line with President Joe Biden‘s original $105 billion aid package proposed in October.
Photo by Salma Bashir Motiwala on Shutterstock
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