The Chinese leader was not in group photos released late on Sept. 15 as the heads of state, including Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, headed to dinner.
Read also: World must finally understand that Putin is no different from Hitler – Danilov
An Uzbek government source confirmed Xi Jinping’s absence and said the Chinese delegation cited its COVID-19 policy as the reason for the Chinese president’s absence.
Prior to that. Putin held talks with Xi on Sept. 15, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan.
Among other things, the parties discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine and China’s claims on Taiwan.
Read also: Zelenskyy says he would like to hold talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping
Beijing has not joined the international sanctions regime against the Kremlin for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, opting for neutrality in this matter.
At the same time, Russia and China recently held joint military exercises.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
