China's Xi Jinping plans Russia visit as soon as next week: sources
The Hindu
Plans for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Russia visit comes as China has been offering to broker peace in Ukraine
Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to travel to Russia to meet with his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter said, which would be sooner than previously expected.
Plans for a visit come as China has been offering to broker peace in Ukraine, an effort that has been met with scepticism in the West given China’s diplomatic support for Russia.
Explained | Why China’s stand on Russia and Ukraine is raising concerns
Russia’s Tass news agency reported on Jan. 30 that Mr. Putin had invited Mr. 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 Mr. Xi going to Moscow and the Kremlin declined to comment.
No other details were immediately available.
The sources briefed on the matter declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the issue.