Russia’s president had been heaping praise on his Chinese counterpart before even landing in Beijing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing after months of isolation reveals Kremlin’s growing dependence on China.
On Tuesday, Putin landed in Beijing, marking his first major international travel, except for one visit to Minsk last year, since the beginning of war in Ukraine. Putin is in Beijing to attend the Belt and Road Summit (BRI) on October 17-18, and is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping tomorrow.
On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes related to «unlawful deportation and transfer of children.» The arrest warrant has loomed large over Putin’s plans to travel outside Russia as he has avoided high-level summits in South Africa and India in the past months.
Experts believe isolated Putin will use the Beijing visit as an opportunity to «meet with other like-minded leaders.»
«Travel to Beijing for the BRI affords Putin an opportunity to meet with other like-minded leaders. Putin’s isolation magnifies his complicated relationship with Xi and also his dependence.»
Putin was greeted by the Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao at the airport in Beijing, where he was welcomed with a red carpet.
