Chinese President Xi Jinping touted close ties with Russia on the second day of his state visit to Moscow Tuesday, inviting Vladimir Putin to make a return visit later this year.
“It fits the historical logic that Chinese leaders take Russia as a primary choice for their overseas visits, Xi said, adding that China and Russia are each other’s biggest neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a major topic for the leaders in more than four hours of talks Monday, according to both sides, with Putin saying before the meeting that he’s ready to discuss China’s initiative for ending the war. Putin welcomed Xi to the Kremlin Tuesday afternoon for more discussions. Russian state television showed the two men walking the long red carpets of the Kremlin to shake hands before joining their delegations.
