China Invites Putin for State Visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit China for a state visit this week at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The announcement was made by the Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday, marking Putin's first overseas trip since being elected to a fifth presidential term in March [para. 1]. This visit follows his last visit to China seven months ago when he attended the 3rd Belt and Road Forum in Beijing [para. 2].

During this visit, which spans two days beginning Thursday, Xi and Putin are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation across various fields and deliberate on international and regional issues of common interest, according to Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, who spoke during a press briefing on Tuesday [para. 3].

Putin officially began his fifth presidential term on May 7, having won 87% of the vote in mid-March [para. 4]. Earlier in April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited China and met with President Xi, as well as China's top diplomat Wang Yi. In that meeting, Wang Yi stated that China would support the convening of a global peace conference recognized by both Russia and Ukraine [para. 5].

Putin's upcoming visit also coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, adding historical significance to the trip [para. 6]. The summary is based on news provided by reporter Kelly Wang and edited by Michael Bellart [para. 7].