Chinese leader Xi Jinping is inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit China later this year — another show of support for Moscow as a war crimes arrest warrant increasingly isolates the Russian leader. Putin and Xi appear to be positioning themselves as the leaders of a new global order opposed to U.S. power. The White House has accused Xi of providing “diplomatic cover” for Putin after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest.
Xi will meet later Tuesday with Putin — whom Xi called his “dear friend” upon arrival for the state visit — for formal talks, on the second day of his three-day trip. It’s Xi’s first visit since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has billed the trip as a peace mission but has not yet indicated if a formal call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will take place.
