Chinese President Begins 3-day Visit to Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Moscow on Monday, kicking off a three-day official visit focused on developing the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Xi's visit comes at an opportune time for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Russia goes under heavy sanctions imposed by Western countries in response to the Russia-Ukraine war.

China is one of the few countries that did not condemn the Russian attack and is trying to mediate an end to the war, thus presenting itself as a beneficial partner for Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two leaders would hold an informal bilateral meeting on Monday. Formal talks between the two delegations are scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday.

This is the first visit by a foreign leader to Russia since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin for war crimes in Ukraine. He is accused of illegally deporting children from Ukraine to Russia, and Russia says the children were moved from a war zone to a safe place.