Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to China’s President Xi Jinping in the course of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders’ summit in Samarkand on Sept. 16, 2022.
Sergei Bobylyov | AFP | Getty Images
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping is ready to go to Russia from March 20 to 22, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday.
That is Xi’s first visit to Russia for the reason that invasion of Ukraine in late February last 12 months.
The two leaders last met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in September.
The ministry said the visit was at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s request. It didn’t specify whether Putin would meet with Xi.
The 2 leaders are expected to debate further Sino-Russian cooperation, the Kremlin said in an announcement, adding that “essential bilateral documents might be signed” without elaborating.
The visit comes as China called again for a ceasefire within the Russia-Ukraine war and for peace talks to resolve the conflict that began just over a 12 months ago.
Beijing has refused to call Moscow’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine an invasion.