Putin-Xi meet today! Israel-Hamas war, ‘no-limits’ ties, and more on agenda
Ukraine war and an escalating conflict in the Middle East. Xi is hosting Putin along with dozens of global leaders at the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Summit to celebrate 10 years since the Chinese President launched the infrastructure project aimed at strengthening alliances with Asian, African, and Latin American nations. During the meeting, the two leaders are expected to focus on their remarks about the Israel-Hamas war as US President Joe Biden is visiting Israel today.
This is the second known trip abroad for the Russian leader since the Hague-based International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in March, accusing Putin of illegally deporting children from Ukraine. China is not a member of the court. Xi last saw his "dear friend" in Moscow just days after the warrant was issued, according to a report published by the news agency Reuters. Russia and China, the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, have said that the fundamental issue at the heart of the conflict is the lack of justice for the Palestinians.
In addition, Russia has also condemned violence against both Jews and Palestinians but Putin repeatedly criticized the United States for what he said was its flawed approach. Putin last visited China for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022, when Russia and China declared a "no-limits" partnership days before the Russian president sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Xi is pushing to make the Belt and Road smaller and greener, moving away from big-ticket projects like dams to high-tech ones such as digital finance and e-commerce platforms.
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