Putin "Will Give Book as Gift to Xi Jinping"
Russia Likely to Find Breakthrough Against Western Sanctions Including Asset Freezes
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on the 25th (local time) that he plans to visit China next month. On the same day, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) warned China to stop supporting Russia's war efforts.
According to major foreign media, President Putin said during a speech at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs meeting that "I expect to visit China in May." No specific date was mentioned. However, this visit is expected to be Putin's first overseas trip since starting his new term with the presidential inauguration on the 7th of next month.
At the event, a man asked President Putin to deliver a copy of the book "What Is to Be Done," which was found in a library on President Xi Jinping's birthday, to President Xi. The book is a novel by Nikolai Chernyshevsky, a Russian revolutionary and philosopher.
Announcing his plan to visit China, President Putin said, "I will definitely take this book and deliver it to our friend," and praised President Xi as "a strong leader and a true man." Known as a lover of Russian literature, President Xi reportedly named "What Is to Be Done" as one of his favorite books in 2013 and expressed his intention to become a strong person like the novel's protagonist.
Having secured a fifth term in last month's presidential election, President Putin is expected to reaffirm the bond between the two countries through a summit with President Xi. The two leaders met last March after President Xi began his third term to strengthen their strategic partnership. Especially since Russia has faced Western sanctions such as asset freezes following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, expanding trade and strengthening diplomatic relations with China is crucial. Currently, President Putin is also coordinating a visit to T?rkiye and has accepted an invitation to visit North Korea.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned China on the same day, saying, "If China wants to enjoy good relations with the West, it must stop supporting Russia's war in Ukraine." During a previous visit to Berlin, Secretary General Stoltenberg pointed out that "China is playing a role in sustaining Russia's wartime economy by sharing advanced technologies such as semiconductors," and noted that "Russia imported 90% of the microelectronics used in missile, tank, and aircraft production last year from China."
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