Russian President Vladimir Putin is heading to China for the first foreign visit of his new term, underlining the vital importance of the relationship as Beijing faces growing US pressure to curtail support that’s helping Moscow continue its war in Ukraine.
Putin, 71, who extended his nearly quarter-century rule in tightly controlled March elections, will visit Beijing starting May 16, as well as the northern city of Harbin where he’ll take part in the opening ceremony of the eighth Russian-Chinese Expo. He is likely to prioritize countering the US warnings to China over trade with his country at talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
