Putin heads to China to bolster ties amid Ukraine tensionsWashington Times. Feb 3, 2022
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is heading to Beijing amid the soaring tensions over Ukraine on a trip intended to help strengthen Moscow‘s ties with China and coordinate their policies in the face of Western pressure.
Putin’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday will mark their first in-person meeting since 2019, helping cement a strong personal relationship that has been a key factor behind a growing partnership between the two former Communist rivals. After the talks involving top officials from both sides, Putin and Xi will meet one-on-one over lunch before attending the opening of the Winter Olympics.
In an article for the Chinese news agency Xinhua published Thursday, Putin emphasized that Moscow and Beijing play an “important stabilizing role” in global affairs and help make international affairs “more equitable and inclusive.”
In an apparent reference to a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics by the U.S. and some of its allies, the Russian president deplored “attempts by some countries to politicize sports to the benefit of their ambitions.”
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