Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit China in May as the two countries strengthen ties amid pressure from the West.
"A visit is planned in May," Putin said at a business forum in Moscow, without providing further details.
It will be the first foreign visit by Putin, who is the subject of a March 2023 arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for "deporting" Ukrainian children, since his re-election in March.
The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, made an official visit to China in early April, during which Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged to step up cooperation with Moscow, much to the chagrin of the West, which has been trying to pressure Beijing for months.
In recent years, Beijing and Moscow have stepped up their economic, diplomatic and military cooperation, and their "strategic partnership" has been cemented since the offensive in Ukraine began in late February 2022.
During Lavrov's visit, Xi Jinping also called on Beijing and Moscow to "unite the countries of the 'Global South'", which includes South American and African countries, and "promote the reform of the global governance system", with both sides condemning the hegemony of the West.
The United States and other Western countries regularly warn China against indirectly aiding Russian war efforts and urge it to use its influence with Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine. / BGNES
