Putin to Attend Beijing Olympics... First Support Declaration Among Leaders

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Russian President Vladimir Putin has become the first leader among major countries to express his intention to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics. Western countries including the United States are advocating a boycott due to the Chinese government's human rights abuses against the Uyghur people.

Foreign media reported on the 17th (local time) that President Putin is scheduled to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics. A summit meeting with President Xi Jinping is also being planned for February next year in conjunction with the Beijing Olympics.

Russia was banned from sending a national team to the Olympics until 2022 after being caught by the World Anti-Doping Agency for operating a state-sponsored doping program during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Recently, Russia and China have been showing signs of further strengthening their bilateral relations. In May, President Xi watched via video conference the start of a joint project to build four nuclear reactors in China with President Putin, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the bilateral relationship as "the best in history."

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