China says President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday in an apparent show of support for Vladimir Putin.
No other details were given but China has declared a “no-limits” friendship with Russia and refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — while declaring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries be respected.
The Kremlin on Friday also announced the visit, saying it will take place “at the invitation of Vladimir Putin”.
Mr Xi and Mr Putin will discuss “issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China”, as well as exchange views “in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese co-operation in the international arena”, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The two leaders will also sign “important bilateral documents”, the statement read.
Beijing has also condemned western sanctions and accused Nato and the United States of provoking Russia.
Mr Putin invited Mr Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December.
The visit, Mr Putin said, could “demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties” and “become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations”.
In a rare phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart on Thursday, China’s foreign minister said Beijing is concerned about the year-old grinding conflict with Russia spinning out of control and called for talks over a political solution with Moscow.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 17 March 2023.
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/y5daPr1dkT
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/IEAW3R5oPq— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 17, 2023
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Qin Gang told Dmytro Kuleba China has “always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks”, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website.
Mr Kuleba later tweeted that he and Mr Qin “discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity”.
“I underscored the importance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s)’s Peace Formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine,” wrote Mr Kuleba, who spoke the same day with US secretary of state Antony Blinken.
