Russian President Vladimir Putin visits China for a period of two days.
Vladimir Putin commences his new term of office with a visit to China. As Putin's initial foreign journey, he has been invited by the Chinese head of state to enhance trading connections in the Far East.
Beginning his fifth term, President Vladimir Putin travels to China for his first overseas visit. Arriving in Beijing on Thursday, May 16th, according to Xinhua, China's state news agency, Putin's trip will end on Friday (May 17th). The strong bond between the two nuclear powers and United Nations Security Council members is demonstrated by Putin's selection of China as his first foreign destination.
During his time in China, the two presidents will discuss the entire range of issues related to their comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, identify key areas for development of Russian-Chinese practical collaboration, and extensively exchange views on critical global and regional matters. Following their conversation, a joint declaration will be signed.
Putin's itinerary includes meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, where they will discuss economic topics, among other things. In addition to Beijing, the Russian president will visit Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang's northern province.
Due to Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions, the nation has been internationally secluded. China has remained neutral on the world stage, providing support to its long-time ally. Putin's last official state visit to China occurred approximately six years ago.
China continues to be a pivotal trading partner for Russia. Despite April's decrease in Chinese exports to Russia, bilateral trade thrived in the first four months of the year, increasing by 7.9% compared to the same period in 2021 to RMB 543.7 billion (approximately €70 billion).
As reported by the Munich-based IFO Institute, the sanctions imposed by the EU and other Western countries have left Russia with a third less of the sanctioned goods than it had before the war. China is considered Russia's primary source of sanctioned products, importing 61% of them. Five years ago, this percentage was only 35%. In return, China benefits from inexpensive Russian energy imports and access to vast natural resources, including ongoing gas supplies through the "Power of Siberia" pipeline.
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During Putin's visit, he and Xi Jinping are expected to strengthen trade relations between Russia and China. Vladimir Putin's choice of China as his first foreign destination in his new term underscores the importance of Russia-China trade relations, particularly in the context of Western sanctions, with China serving as a major source of sanctioned products for Russia.
Source: www.ntv.de
