After almost 1,000 days, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first trip outside of China since the start of the pandemic. The trip includes a visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where Xi will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the war on Ukraine, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. This visit serves to reinforce Beijing's global power amidst political friction in the west, reports CNN.
The two leaders have continued to strengthen ties between their countries throughout the Russo-Ukrainian war, and this meeting will be a show of diplomatic support for Putin. Xi is also visiting at the brink of an unprecedented third term, which will cement his legacy as one of China's most powerful leaders.
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