Russia’s Putin and China’s No. 2 official praise deepening ties as Ukraine war grinds on

CNN —

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed “flourishing” trade ties with China during a meeting with a top Chinese official in Moscow as the two countries bolster their partnership in the face of mounting frictions with the West.

Speaking to Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Putin said Russia-China “large-scale joint plans and projects” in economic and humanitarian areas would “continue for many years,” according to a Kremlin readout.

Li, China’s No. 2 official under leader Xi Jinping, had traveled to Moscow for a longstanding annual meeting with Russia’s prime minister, which focused on economic and practical cooperation as the Kremlin continues to look to Beijing for economic partnership as its war with Ukraine grinds on.

In his remarks to Putin, the Chinese premier hailed efforts by the Russian leader and Xi to “inject strong momentum” into “deepening bilateral relations and cooperation,” according to Chinese state media.

Li’s four-day trip, which will include a stop in Russian ally Belarus, is the first visit to Russia by a high-level Chinese official since the Kremlin’s war with Ukraine took on a new dimension following a surprise, ongoing military incursion by Ukrainian forces into the Russian border region of Kursk two weeks ago.

Russia has been scrambling to repel that assault, which marks the first time foreign troops entered Russian territory since World War II and comes amid mounting pressure for a conclusion to the war in Ukraine, which began in 2022 with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.