President Putin to visit China in May - sources

BEIJING/MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Xi Jinping, in what could be the Kremlin chief’s first overseas trip of his new presidential term, according to five sources familiar with the matter.

Western governments on Monday condemned Putin’s re-election as unfair and undemocratic. But China, India and North Korea congratulated the veteran leader on extending his rule by a further six years, highlighting geopolitical fault lines that have widened since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

“Putin will visit China,” one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. The details were independently confirmed by four other sources, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Another of the sources said Putin’s trip to China would probably take place in the second half of May. Two of the sources said the Putin visit would come before Xi’s planned trip to Europe.

The Kremlin declined to comment. China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China has strengthened its trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the United States and its allies imposed sanctions against both countries, particularly Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.

The two countries declared a “no limits” partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before the invasion.

Foreign diplomats and observers said they expected Putin to make China his first stop after being re-elected. Putin’s formal presidential inauguration is due to take place around May 7.

Putin told reporters on Sunday that Russia and China shared a similar global outlook, enjoyed resilient relations in part due to Putin and Xi’s good personal relations and that Moscow and Beijing would develop ties further in coming years.

Xi visited Russia in his first post-pandemic overseas trip in March last year, shortly after commencing his precedent-breaking third term as Chinese president.

China is considering taking part in a peace conference aimed at ending the war in Ukraine to be hosted by neutral Switzerland in the coming months, its ambassador to Bern told local media on Monday.

Beijing launched a 12-point Ukraine “peace” plan last year but so far has not taken significant steps to resolve the conflict besides attending Western-led peace talks in Jeddah last summer. –