By Ryan Woo Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to fulfill with Chinese language President Xi Jinping on a broadly watched journey geared toward showcasing the belief and “no-limits” partnership between the international locations even because the battle in Ukraine raged on.

In solely his second recognized journey overseas for the reason that Hague-based Worldwide Prison Courtroom (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March, Putin and his entourage flew into the Beijing Capital Worldwide Airport on Tuesday morning, in line with Reuters video footage.

He was greeted by the Chinese language Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

Additionally it is the Kremlin chief’s first official journey exterior of the previous Soviet Union this 12 months, after visiting Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, earlier this month.

The ICC, which {accused} Putin of illegally deporting youngsters from Ukraine, obliges the courtroom’s 123 member states to arrest Putin and switch him to The Hague for trial if he units foot on their territory. Neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are members of the ICC, established to prosecute battle crimes.

Xi final noticed his “pricey buddy” in Moscow simply days after the warrant was issued. On the time, Xi invited Putin to attend the third Belt and Highway discussion board in Beijing, a world cooperation discussion board championed by the Chinese language chief.

Putin is to attend the discussion board’s official opening reception hosted by Xi and discuss with the leaders of Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia and Laos on Tuesday, Russian media reported.

Because the discussion board’s chief visitor, Putin will communicate after Xi on Wednesday and can meet with the Chinese language president for bilateral talks later that day.

Beijing has rejected Western criticism of its partnership with Moscow even because the battle in Ukraine confirmed no signal of ceasing, insisting that their ties don’t violate worldwide norms, and China has the precise to collaborate with whichever nation it chooses.

Putin final visited China for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022 when Russia and China declared a “no-limits” partnership days earlier than the Russian president despatched tens of 1000’s of troops into Ukraine.

It might be Putin’s third attendance of the Belt and Highway Discussion board, which runs by way of Wednesday. He attended the 2 earlier boards in 2017 and 2019.

BELT AND ROAD

The discussion board centres on the Belt and Highway initiative, a grand plan launched by Xi a decade in the past that he hopes would construct international infrastructure and vitality networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe by way of overland and maritime routes.

Putin has praised the initiative, saying it’s a platform for worldwide cooperation, the place “nobody imposes something on others.”

Because the begin of the Ukrainian battle, Russia has cemented its vitality ties with China in an indication of their financial cooperation.

Russia exports round 2.0 million barrels of oil per day to China, greater than a 3rd of its whole crude oil exports. Moscow additionally goals to construct a second pure fuel pipeline to China.

Whereas the heads of Russia’s oil and fuel giants Rosneft and Gazprom will likely be a part of Putin’s travelling delegation, no new offers in vitality could be anticipated.

The journey shouldn’t be a “full-fledged bilateral” go to, however one made on the sidelines of a world convention, in line with the Kremlin.