March 13 (Portal) – Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to travel to Russia as early as next week to meet with his counterpart Vladimir Putin, earlier than previously expected, people familiar with the matter said.
Plans for a visit come as China has offered to broker peace in Ukraine, an attempt met with skepticism in the West given China’s diplomatic support for Russia.
Russian news agency Tass reported Jan. 30 that Putin had invited Xi to visit in the spring. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that a visit to Moscow could take place in April or early May.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of Xi going to Moscow, and the Kremlin declined to comment.
Further details were not immediately available.
The sources briefed on the matter declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the issue.
Last month, Putin received China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on a visit to Moscow and signaled that Xi would travel to Russia.
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China and Russia forged a borderless partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, and the two sides have continued to reaffirm the strength of their ties.
Xi has met Putin in person 39 times since taking office, most recently during a summit in Central Asia in September.
On Monday, Xi concluded the annual session of China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress, where he was unanimously confirmed as president for an unprecedented third term.
Reporting from the Hong Kong, Beijing and Moscow editorial offices; Edited by Robert Birsel
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