Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will sit down with other Asian leaders at a summit in Central Asia on Friday. At this summit, the two leaders are expected to present a united front against the United States and its allies.
The two countries have a “no-limits” relationship, however, there are differences between the two over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that are beginning to emerge. The invasion has also created friction within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security grouping led by Moscow and Beijing. Leaders from India, Pakistan, Iran and four Central Asian countries have convened in Samarkand in Uzbekistan for the summit. Putin’s appearance at the high-profile summit comes after Russian forces have suffered a series of defeats on the Ukrainian battlefield. Moscow has been diplomatically isolated and its economy has been weakened due to Western sanctions and fallout from the invasion.
Read More: China and Russia present united front at summit as Ukraine war risks exposing regional divisions
