Sputnik/Dmitry Astakhov/Pool via REUTERSChina's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sought to expand mutual investment with Russia and affirmed Beijing's commitment to advance ties despite "turbulent" external conditions, Chinese state media reported. "China-Russia relations have stayed the course toward higher-level and higher-quality development, advancing steadily despite a turbulent external environment," Xi told Mishustin, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a "no-limits" partnership in February 2022 days before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Since then, Russia has turned to China to blunt the impact of sanctions, highlighting record trade, increased settlements in yuan and deepening energy cooperation. Chinese state oil majors suspended purchases of seaborne Russian oil following US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, Moscow's two biggest oil companies, Reuters reported last month.
