"Xi Jinping to Meet Putin in Russia as Early as April or May"

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Moscow, Russia as early as April or May to hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 21st (local time), citing sources.

According to the report, Xi's visit to Russia is anticipated to take place in April or early May. In March, China’s largest annual political event, the Two Sessions (Lianghui - the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), will be held, making it difficult for him to be absent. A source said, "Preparations for Xi's visit to Russia are in the early stages and the timing has not been finalized," but added, "It could be in April or early May, coinciding with Russia's celebration of its victory over Germany in World War II."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Xi's visit draws attention as it comes amid the prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine. If the summit takes place, sources expect Xi to urge a multilateral peace conference and express opposition to the use of nuclear weapons during his meeting with President Putin. China is eager to play a more active role in ending the conflict.

Wang Yi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Political Bureau, who arrived in Moscow on the same day, is also expected to discuss Xi's Moscow visit schedule during his stay. Wang is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the 22nd.

The WSJ reported that Xi’s neutral stance, aiming to act as a diplomatic peacemaker regarding the Ukraine war, could represent a significant shift from last year when he promised "boundless friendship" with President Putin just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since the invasion, China has supported the isolated Russia by increasing imports of Russian oil and natural gas.

However, the West has raised questions about China’s diplomatic initiative. Earlier, Wang Yi stated at the Munich Security Conference in Germany that China would announce its position on Ukraine this week, coinciding with the one-year mark of Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed that he received key details of China’s plan from Wang. He is currently awaiting the full text and mentioned that the principle of Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be a prerequisite.

Sun Yun, director of the China program at the U.S. think tank Stimson Center, pointed out, "China must not only call for peace but also present a vision of what a resolution to the war would concretely look like. Calling for peace is cheap and easy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.