Putin Plans to Meet Xi in China Days After His New Term Starts
- Trip planned for May 15-16 signals importance of China ties
- Putin may raise Russia-China trade volumes at talks with Xi
Vladimir Putin
Photographer: Sofia Sandurskaya/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit China little more than a week after starting his new term in office, underscoring the growing importance of ties between the two countries.
The visit is scheduled for May 15-16, a person familiar with the Kremlin’s plans said. The dates may yet change slightly, but even if they do, the trip for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping will be Putin’s first travel abroad after his inauguration at the Kremlin on May 7, the person said, declining to be identified as the information isn’t public.