beijing - Russian President Vladimir Putin, ahead of a state visit to China, has pledged to strengthen strategic cooperation with the country and criticized what he called “attempts to distort” World War II history.
Putin’s four-day trip includes attendance at the Shanghai cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on Sunday and bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin, which described the visit as “absolutely unprecedented.”
on Wednesday, putin will be the guest of honor at China’s World War II Victory Day parade in Tiananmen square, seated to the right of Xi, the Kremlin stated.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, published Saturday, Putin emphasized the close relationship between Russia and China, anticipating it will be a central topic during his discussions with Xi. “I look forward to in-depth discussions with President Xi Jinping on all aspects of our bilateral agenda, including political and security cooperation, and also economic, cultural and humanitarian ties. And, as always, we will exchange views on pressing regional and international issues,” Putin told the Chinese state news agency.
Putin also stated that Russia and China share a “common stand against discriminatory sanctions,” a likely allusion to Western trade restrictions and economic penalties levied following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.