May 14, 2024 - World

Putin to meet with Xi during visit to China this week

Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a two-day state visit to China this week, the first known foreign trip of his fifth term.

Why it matters: Putin will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip in the latest showing of the two nations' close ties.

Driving the news: Putin will be in China on Thursday and Friday on invitation from Xi, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

Putin, 71, was reelected in March to a fifth term as Russia's president.
His trip will be a reciprocal visit to Xi's trip to Moscow last year following his own reelection, the Kremlin said in a statement, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

State of play: Russia and China have been cultivating the close ties between for years as tensions with the U.S. have risen.

Putin and Xi met in early 2022 — weeks ahead of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine — where they announced a "no limits" partnership.
Beijing has maintained warm diplomatic ties with Moscow and provided critical support to its defense industrial base as Russia has waged its war in Ukraine.
During his own visit to China last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. has "serious concern" over China providing weapons components to Russia over the course of the war.

The other side: The U.S. State Department and White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

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