Xi will visit Russia next week for closer ties, but also “for peace.”

China’s top leader Xi Jinping, he will travel to Russia to meet the President Vladimir V Putin next week, in a visit that could have far-reaching implications for Moscow’s war in Ukraine and the troubled relationship between Beijing and Washington.

Xi is expected to pay a state visit to Russia Monday through Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry and the Kremlin said in separate statements.

It will be yours first visit to Russia since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.

Xi’s trip will be closely watched by US and European leaders frustrated with China’s diplomatic and economic support for Russia.

Although the two nations have not declared a formal alliance, Beijing maintains deep strategic ties with Moscow related nuclear energy that seeks to undermine Washington’s geopolitical dominance.

Just three weeks before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin visited Beijing, where the two leaders declared their “unlimited” friendship.

In recent weeks, the Biden administration has warned that China is considering boosting its support for Russia by supplying it with weapons for use in Ukraine, an allegation Beijing has denied.

Xi and Putin will meet on Monday afternoon for a have a conversation alone and have lunchand both leaders will also offer a press conference, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov.

Goals

A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, said Xi would use the visit to boost “mutual trust and understanding” between the two countries, which he said had “established a new paradigm for international relations”.

At the same time, China would try to play a game role of mediator between Russia and Ukraine, he said.

“President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia this time again is for peace,” Wang said when asked if Xi would try to pressure Putin to seek a political deal with Ukraine.

“China’s proposal can be summed up in one sentence, which is persuade peace and promote talks“.

He also implicitly criticized the harshness of Western countries in punishing Russia, stating that the “unilateral sanctions” and “extreme pressure” would only make the crisis worse.

The Kremlin has said talks between Putin and Xi will focus on “global partnership and strategic cooperationbetween the two countries.

China presented itself as one of the few neutral parties well positioned to negotiate a political settlement between Ukraine and Russia.

The country recently issued a position paper calling for an end to the war, but has been heavily criticized by Western leaders for it lack of concrete projects and avoid demands that could undermine China’s close ties with Russia.

Xi has been trying to sharpen his image as a world statesman, particularly with last week’s announcement that Beijing had brokered a surprise deal to restore Sino-China diplomatic ties. Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The agreement came after lengthy talks in which both sides expressed their willingness to restore relations.

Mediating the war in Ukraine would be a much greater challenge, as neither Ukraine nor Russia appear willing to negotiate an end to the fighting.

It is unclear whether Xi will also meet or speak separately with the president of Ukraine.Volodymyr Zelensky.

The foreign ministers of Ukraine and China spoke on the phone in rare official contact on Thursday.

Dmytro Kuleba, The Ukrainian foreign minister said the two discussed “the principle of territorial integrity”.

China said its foreign minister, Qin Gang, told his Ukrainian counterpart that Beijing “will continue to play games constructive role end the conflict, mitigate the crisis and restore peace”.

Qin said China was concerned the conflict would drag on and could “get out of control”. He urged both sides to “exercise restraint” and “resume peace talks as soon as possible,” according to the ministry, referring to the situation in Ukraine as a “crisis” rather than a war.

Wang, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, did not directly respond to the question of whether foreign ministers had discussed a possible contact between Xi and Zelensky, saying only that China continued to “maintain communication with all parties”.

Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor said Monday that the United States had been rooting for Xi talk to Zelensky, in part to discourage China from supplying Russia with arms.

“It would potentially bring more balance and perspective to how PRC is approaching this,” Sullivan said, using an abbreviation for PRC.

“And we hope it will continue to discourage them from giving lethal aid to Russia.”

In addition to the war in Ukraine, Xi will also discuss with Putin how to further strengthen cooperation between their countries, Wang said.

Asked whether Russia and China would seek a formal alliance, Wang said she was interested in a “Nonew type of relationship of great powers”.

“This is completely different from the practice of some countries, which cling to a cold war mentality, collude, engage in ‘small circles’ and factional fighting and intimidate everywhere,” he said.

c.2023 The New York Times Society