Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday invited his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to visit Moscow next year. “I have no doubt that we will find the opportunity to meet you in person. We look forward to seeing you, dear Mr. President, dear friend. We look forward to a state visit to Moscow next spring,” Putin said during a video chat with Xi, according to the Russian news agency Sputnik.
Putin added that this visit will show the world the strength of Russia-China relations on important issues and will become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations. During the video chat, Putin and Xi discussed bilateral relations and regional crises, including those near the Russian and Chinese borders. Their video conversation later this year, the first since Putin and Xi met in person in Uzbekistan last September, underscores Moscow’s growing dependence on Beijing, according to Bloomberg News.
For his part, Xi expressed his thanks to Putin for the congratulatory message he sent after the ruling Communist Party of China announced last October that Xi won a third term in power. Xi said China is ready to expand the “strategic partnership”. The two countries kicked off the year with a joint declaration of a “borderless” partnership at their February summit on the eve of the Beijing Winter Olympics, as both sought to challenge US influence and push for a multipolar world.
