Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China for the second time in less than a year, at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. This is the latest indication of the two countries’ growing alignment at a time when global fault lines are becoming more pronounced as Russia advances in Ukraine and conflict devastates Gaza.
Less than a week after taking office again and prolonging his despotic rule until 2030 as the outcome of an election with no real opposition, Putin is scheduled to arrive in China.
According to Chinese official media, his visit, which is scheduled on May 16–17, is reminiscent of Xi’s own state visit to Moscow slightly more than a year ago, when he, like Putin, announced the unconventional beginning of a new term as president after revising the regulations governing the duration of office.
Their meeting takes place months before the US presidential elections and amid growing worldwide criticism of Washington for its backing of Israel’s Gaza War.
The leaders will be debating how all these can further their goal of undermining American influence and providing a substitute.
Encouraged by the survival of his wartime economy and a big fresh push along critical areas of the Ukrainian front line, Putin will come for the two-day state visit. After just returning from a trip of Europe, Xi sees this visit as a chance to demonstrate that his loyalty to Putin has not affected his capacity to interact with the West.
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