Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping plan to meet next week in Uzbekistan, a Russian official said Wednesday, announcing a summit that could signal another step in warming ties between two powers that are increasingly facing off against the West.
The meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization — a political, economic and security forum that China and Russia dominate — comes at delicate times for both leaders.
Both leaders facing economic issues, Putin due to his political fallout stemming from the evasion of Ukraine. While XI is facing a slowing economy as he seeks his third 5-year term as China’s Communist Party leader. Both have seen their countries’ relations with the West deteriorate as of recent.
The visit to Uzbekistan, if it goes ahead, would be part of Xi’s first foreign trip in 2 ½ years. He has only left the mainland once since the Covid-19 virus was released from China in late 2019.
Putin and Xi last met in Beijing in February, weeks before the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine. The two presidents oversaw the signing of an agreement pledging that relations between the sides would have “no limits.” China has sought to appear neutral while trying to avoid repercussions from supporting Russia’s economy amid sanctions, but it remains unclear whether Xi was aware of Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine.
The Russian military held sweeping military drills that ended Wednesday in the country’s east that involved forces from China, another show of increasingly close ties between the two. Xi may be taking up the opportunity to stand up against the Western opposition to the Ukraine war as the U.S. has grown increasingly tense over trade, technology, human rights issues and its threats to attack Taiwan.
Although Moscow and Beijing in the past rejected the possibility of forging a military alliance, Putin has said that such a prospect can’t be ruled out. He also has noted that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.
