Vladimir Putin is due in Beijing to mark a celebration in China marking a decade since the launch of the country’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.
Putin has been strengthening ties with Chinese leader Xi Jinping following the invasion of Ukraine which left Moscow frozen out of Western markets and institutions.
China has allowed Russia some international cover over the conflict in Ukraine by refusing to overtly condemn the invasion, choosing to instead remain neutral.
Beijing has opened up much-needed financial links to Russia which have helped the Kremlin keep the economy afloat amid heavy Western sanctions.
Some analysts argue that the ever-growing closer ties between Russia and China have the former as the more junior party, with Putin increasingly dependent on the goodwill of Xi.
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