OAN Roy Francis
UPDATED 7:58 AM – Tuesday, March 21, 2023
During the Chinese leader’s visit to Moscow, he reportedly invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit China.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, on Tuesday, President Xi Jinping invited Putin to visit China for the third Belt and Road Forum for international cooperation. The forum is set to be held in China in late 2023.
The Belt and Road Forum is an international political and economic forum for all nations that are a part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, which is a massive global infrastructure development strategy led by China.
The Belt and Road Initiative involves the Chinese government investing in over 150 countries and international organizations. It is the center piece of President Xi Jinping’s foreign policy, which is designed to propel China into a greater leadership role for global affairs. Putin had previously attended the first two Forums that were held by China in 2017 and 2019.
The invitation was extended by Xi as he and Putin are set to begin formal talks on Tuesday during his three-day trip to Moscow. The Chinese president also invited Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to visit China, and has called for regular meetings between the Russian Prime Minister and the Chinese premier.
One of the main reasons behind the Chinese president’s trip to Moscow is reinforce the relationship between the two nations as well as discuss the war in Ukraine.
China has previously called for a cease fire and peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and had also released a 12-point peace plan to end the conflict. However, the United States has remained skeptical of China, alleging that Beijing is considering providing Russia with military support to aid in its war effort against Ukraine.
Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, said that the U.S. expects Xi to emphasize a ceasefire during his trip to Moscow. He also said that any peace plan must include “upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
“Any plan that does not prioritize this critical principle is a stalling tactic at best or is merely seeking to facilitate an unjust outcome,” Blinken said. “That is not constructive diplomacy.”
The White House has also been critical of Xi for providing the Russian President with “diplomatic cover” after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on Friday for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
The trip to Russia is the Chinese President’s first trip since he secured his unprecedented third term earlier in March.
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