Vladimir Putin seeks to strengthen relationship with Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping is setting an example to the world, showing what a mutually respectful dialogue with foreign partners can be, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

,,He is a true leader of a great world power, a leader with a strong will, strategic thinking and a global perspective, who knows how to prioritize national interests”, Putin praised Xi Jinping, calling it extremely important for China that ,,this is the kind of person who is at the helm of the state at a difficult, turning point, full of challenges for the international community”.

Earlier, the Russian leader’s adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said that Putin would attend a summit on security issues and be Xi’s ,,chief guest” at a military parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

Ushakov added that Putin’s visit to China will take place from August 31 to September 3, and that such a four-day trip is very rare for him.

The Russian delegation will include several high-ranking officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller, Ushakov and the heads of Russia’s largest banks and corporations.

Trade between Moscow and Beijing, which reached record levels as the war in Ukraine isolated Russia, is now in a slight decline, a trend that Russian diplomacy is trying to reverse.