Support The Moscow Times!

Putin and Xi to Hold Talks in September

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov greets Chinese State Council member Yang Jiechi during their meeting in Moscow Sergei Karpukhin / REUTERS

President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, next month, Interfax reported Thursday.

The two leaders will meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in St. Petersburg scheduled for Sept. 5 to 6, the agency quoted a senior state official as saying.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Barack Obama cancelled a meeting with Putin due to be held ahead of the same summit, in retaliation for Moscow granting ex-spy agency contractor Edward Snowden asylum.

Moscow and Beijing have progressively strengthened political and commercial ties since the Soviet era, when relations were often strained. Both countries now say they need a counterweight to U.S. influence in the world.

As members of the United Nations Security Council, Russia and China have repeatedly ruled out sanctioning Syria and vetoed three Western and Gulf Arab-backed resolutions condemning President Bashar Assad for a brutal civil war.

In March, Xi paid his first foreign state visit as president to Moscow.

Trade flows between Russia and China more than doubled to $87.5 billion in the five years to 2012, still far below the levels of Russia's trade with the European Union and China's with the U.S.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more