Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders’ summit in Samarkand on September 16, 2022.
Sergei Bobylyov AFP Getty Images
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from March 20 to 22, China’s Foreign Ministry announced Friday.
This is Xi’s first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in late February last year.
The two leaders last met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in September.
The ministry said the visit was at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It did not specify whether Putin would meet with Xi.
The two leaders are expected to discuss Sino-Russian cooperation further, the Kremlin said in a statement, adding “important bilateral documents will be signed” without elaborating.
The visit comes as China calls for a renewed ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war and for peace talks to resolve the conflict that began just a year ago.
Beijing refused to call Moscow’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine an invasion.