China's Xi to hold summit with Putin in Russian port city amid tensions with US
Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to meet next week with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in what is seen as further development of ties between the two economic and military powers.
The summit of the two leaders will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday during Xi's visit to Russia's far-eastern port city of Vladivostok, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement on Friday. The meeting will mark the first time a Chinese head of state takes part in the Russian-hosted Eastern Economic Forum, a gathering Moscow regards as an opportunity to promote further investment in its sparsely populated far-east region.
The visit is also viewed as a sign of growing ties between Beijing and Moscow following their participation in joint military drills as well as cooperation in foreign policy matters such as the Syrian crisis and North Korea.
China also plans to send later this month 3,200 soldiers and over 900 pieces of military hardware to Russia for the largest military maneuvers since the Cold War.
The Putin-Xi summit will also take place as China tries to reach out to new trade partners amid the Washington-initiated tariff war with the US.
Russia has emerged in recent years as China’s largest supplier of crude oil, surpassing US Persian Gulf client state of Saudi Arabia. Beijing has also become a major importer of Russian gas and military equipment.
According to US press reports, the upcoming summit and the increasing economic, political and military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing also reflect a response by the two leaders to Washington’s national security strategy that describes them as America's top adversaries.
Putin and Xi have further sought to strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping they established, which holds occasional military exercises.
The two heads of states have met 25 times so far, five of which took place just last year, according to Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.
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