Shafaq News – Beijing

Russian President Vladimir Putin began a rare four-day visit to China, a trip observers view as a deliberate show of solidarity with Beijing against Western pressure, Sky News reported on Sunday.

The timing comes just two weeks after Putin met with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.

According to Sky News, Putin’s agenda in Beijing emphasizes his close relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, the two leaders will hold bilateral talks before Putin attends a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, symbolizing their united front against what they call future threats.

Putin is also set to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders on the sidelines. For Moscow, the visit projects resilience against sanctions, even as bilateral trade with China — a lifeline for Russia since the Ukraine invasion — has begun to decline in recent months.

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