Putin to Visit China for Talks with Xi Jinping

Moscow. Kremlin on Saturday informed that Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to China has been scheduled for May 19-20.

During the visit, Russian President Putin will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and discuss how to further strengthen the partnership and strategic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, the Kremlin informed through a statement.

Putin and Xi will also exchange views on major international and regional issues and sign a joint declaration after the talks, it has been informed.

During the visit, Putin is also scheduled to discuss economic and trade cooperation with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, it has been informed.

The announcement of Putin's visit came after US President Trump's first visit to China concluded on Friday. The visit is expected to play a role in reducing trade and geopolitical tensions, including the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

China has presented itself as a neutral party, regularly calling for talks to end the war. Beijing has denied providing weapons and military equipment to Moscow for its defense industry, accusing Western countries of prolonging the conflict by providing weapons to Ukraine.

Amid economic sanctions imposed on Russia over the conflict, China has become Moscow's main economic partner as the world's top buyer of Russian fossil fuels, it has been informed.