ISLAMABAD: China’s President Xi Jinping will visit Russia next week on the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin announced Friday.
The two-day trip from March 20-22 comes as China offered to broker peace in Ukraine, a move that has been facing skepticism in the West given Beijing’s diplomatic support for Moscow.
Trip ‘for friendship and peace’
Beijing’s foreign ministry said multiple “important bilateral documents” are expected to be signed during the visit. Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a message posted on Twitter on Friday, it will be a trip “for friendship and peace”.
She said that Beijing and Moscow have been promoting greater democracy in international relations on the basis of no-alliance, no-confrontation and no-targeting of any third party.
She added that China position on Ukraine “an objective and fair position” on the war in Ukraine and “play a constructive role in promoting talks for peace”.
Russia and China signed a “no limits” partnership agreement in February 2022, when Vladimir Putin was visiting Beijing for the inauguration ceremony of the Winter Olympics, weeks before the Russia-Ukraine war started.
Both sides have since continued to strengthen their relations. Bilateral trade has increased since the war commenced, and China has become the biggest buyer of Russian oil, an important source of revenue for the East European country.
However, in recent weeks, Beijing has been trying to play the role of a mediator between Ukraine and Russia.
On February 24 2023, a year after Russia attacked Ukraine, China issued a twelve-point position paper on the violent conflict, in which it stressed for cessation of hostilities and negotiations between the involved parties.
China also offered to mediate between Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea grain agreement, which is due to extended further.
