China remains one of Russia's only remaining trading partners and diplomatic allies following Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and has become a critical economic lifeline as Russia copes with mounting Western sanctions. Putin arrived with a large delegation that includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, new Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, several deputy prime ministers and leaders of state-owned enterprises. During his two-day visit, he and Xi are expected to emphasize their personal friendship and their shared objective of reshaping global power and ending the dominance of the United States in world affairs. Putin is also expected to meet Chinese premier Li Qiang, who is theoretically responsible for the country's economy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/15/russia-vladimir-putin-china-xi-meeting/

Source: Washington Post May 16, 2024 02:18 UTC