(Bloomberg) — Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan on Thursday, as Moscow struggles with its most significant military setbacks in Ukraine in months.
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Xi was greeted by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev when he landed in Samarkand on Wednesday evening, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
The Chinese leader said he looked forward to a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to “deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the sound and steady development” of the security and economic forum.
The Xi-Putin talks at the SCO will be their first since February in Beijing, when they declared a “no limits” friendship. Putin ordered an attack on Ukraine weeks later, one that seemed to surprise China.
China has provided verbal backing for Moscow since then, with the Asian nation’s No. 3 official, Li Zhanshu recently telling Russian lawmakers that leaders in Beijing “fully understand the necessity” of Russia’s actions. Yet, China has avoided sending military supplies or financial support, which would make it a target of economic sanctions that Washington and others have applied to Russia.
Xi and Putin “planned to discuss both the bilateral agenda and key regional and international topics” on Thursday, Putin aide Yury Ushakov told Russia’s Tass news agency, adding that the Ukraine and Taiwan issues will also be discussed.
China’s ties with the US have worsened recently over Taiwan, especially after Nancy Pelosi became the first House Speaker in 25 years to visit the democracy. Beijing responded with unprecedented military drills around Taiwan, including launching ballistic missiles that traveled directly over the island that Beijing claims as its territory.
On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a bill to boost ties with Taipei and give it more military hardware to deter a Chinese invasion, a development that is likely to further strain ties.
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Photographs in Chinese state media of Xi arriving in Samarkand have shown him wearing a mask with a small Chinese flag on it. Xi has repeatedly backed China’s zero-tolerance approach to the coronavirus, despite the punishing economic costs.
The southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, population 21 million, is easing lockdowns on some areas, though six districts will keep strict measures in place and hold another round of mass testing Thursday.
Xi’s Central Asian trip marks Xi’s return to the world stage after being the only Group of 20 leader to avoid leaving his country since the first Covid lockdown began in January 2020.
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On Wednesday, Xi traveled to Kazakhstan, meeting President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the capital Nur-Sultan. The 69-year-old later held talks with Tokayev, saying the fact he had chosen Kazakhstan for his first foreign trip since the pandemic started shows “the high level and uniqueness of China-Kazakhstan relations and our profound friendship.”
Xi’s sweep through Central Asia is a chance to promote his vision of a world where China can expand its interests without fearing the threat of economic or military pressure from the US.
It comes a month before a twice-in-a-decade Communist Party congress where he’s expected to clinch a precedent-busting third term, and push his agenda for a multipolar world.
He was originally expected to make his inaugural international trip in November for the Group of 20 summit in Bali, which will be attended by President Joe Biden and Putin.
Instead, his choice to first swing through Central Asia has put the focus on meeting with leaders including from Russia, India, Pakistan and Iran — countries more aligned in Beijing’s efforts to push back on the US and its allies.
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