Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing to start talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping ahead of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Chinese state media CGTN and the Kremlin reported on Friday.
The talks will take place at a diplomatic complex in Beijing where state visits are held, according to Chinese state media.
The two leaders will discuss bilateral trade and “relevant international topics,” Putin said in a letter published on Thursday.
During the high-level talks, Putin will be joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, adviser to President Yury Ushakov, Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov and Igor Sechin, head of state-owned energy company Rosneft.
Putin and Xi will also have an individual lunch, Ushakov said. In the evening, Putin is expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Games.
Xi has not left China since the start of the pandemic, and this summit will be the first time he has met in person with foreign colleagues in more than 400 days.
The meeting comes at a crucial time for both sides, as the concentration of Russian troops on the country’s border with Ukraine stokes fears of an imminent invasion – an event that is sure to overshadow China’s Olympic moment.
Source: CNN Brasil
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