Putin says accepted Xi's invitation to visit China in October
by AFP Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Sept 20, 2023

Russian leader Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he had accepted Chinese President Xi Jinping's invitation to travel to China in October.

China and Russia describe each other as strategic allies, with both countries frequently touting their "no limits" partnership and economic and military cooperation.

They came even closer after the start of Russia's offensive in Ukraine in February last year, which China has refused to criticise.

"I was pleased to accept the invitation of the Chairman of the People's Republic of China to visit China in October," Putin told Beijing's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in televised remarks as they met in Saint Petersburg.

In March, China's leader Xi Jinping made a state visit to Moscow, where he and Putin sought to showcase a united front against Western countries.

The top Chinese diplomat was on a four-day visit to Russia, in the latest of a series of high-level contacts between Moscow and Beijing.

The Kremlin has sought to deepen ties with China after the start of its Ukraine offensive, which has thrown Moscow into increasing isolation.

China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, while offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline.

On Tuesday, Wang met with Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, and Nambaryn Enkhbayar, secretary-general of the National Security Council of Mongolia, China's foreign ministry said.

"China is willing to work with Russia and Mongolia to seek effective ways to deepen cooperation, promote regional prosperity and stability, and share the fruits of regional development," the ministry said in a statement.

On Monday, Wang held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

According to a Chinese state media readout, Wang reiterated Beijing's position paper on the Ukraine conflict, which called for peace talks but was met with scepticism by the United States and NATO when it was released earlier this year.

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