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Hong Kong
CNN
—
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has arrived in Central Asia in his first foreign trip in almost 1,000 days, returning to the world stage in an attempt to reassert Beijing’s global influence during a time of increased friction with the West.
The trip will see Xi make a state visit to Kazakhstan Wednesday, before traveling to neighboring Uzbekistan for a regional summit, where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin – their first in-person meeting since the invasion of Ukraine.
Weeks before Russia’s tanks rolled into Ukraine, the two strongmen leaders declared a “non-limits” friendship, and Beijing has pledged to continue strengthening ties with Moscow throughout the war.
Their meeting will provide a much-needed show of diplomatic support for Putin, who is facing significant setbacks in Ukraine and counts Xi as his most powerful ally. And for Xi, Putin remains a close strategic partner, who shares his suspicion and grievances toward the West – and his vision for an alternative world order.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a China-led security and economic grouping that brings together nations from India to Iran.
The trip also comes at a crucial time for Xi, just weeks before he is expected to secure a norm-breaking third term in power at a major political meeting in Beijing – a move that will cement his role as China’s most powerful leader in decades.
That Xi feels comfortable enough to travel outside China during the lead-up to next month’s highly consequential political gathering shows he is confident about his grip on power, said Steven Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London. The choice of destination is also in line with Xi’s obsession with control, according to…
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Source : cnn
