File photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping before an extended-format meeting of heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit member states in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 16 September 2022;
Credit: Sputnik/Sergey Bobylev/Pool via Reuters
(Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in Russia from 20 to 22 March 2023 for a state visit after he was invited by President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Friday 17 March 2023.
The visit comes as China offers to broker peace in Ukraine, an effort that has been met with scepticism in the West given Beijing's diplomatic support for Russia.
"During the talks, they will discuss topical issues of further development of comprehensive partnership relations and strategic cooperation between Russia and China," the Kremlin said.
"A number of important bilateral documents will be signed," it added.
China and Russia struck a "no limits" partnership in February 2022, when Putin was visiting Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine.
The two sides have since continued to reaffirm the strength of their ties. Trade between the two countries has soared since the invasion, and China is Russia's biggest buyer of oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow.
