Chinese leader Xi Jinping will visit Russia next week at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. “At the invitation of President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from March 20 to 22,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement on the ministry’s website Friday. It will be Xi’s first visit to Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine last year. “An exchange of views is also planned in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena,” the Kremlin added. Western officials have also raised concerns that China may be considering providing Russia with lethal military assistance, an accusation denied by Beijing.

Source: Egypt Independent March 17, 2023 20:24 UTC