Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepares for high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin on first trip abroad since start of Covid-19 pandemic

Xi’s visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also highlights the importance of Central Asia in Beijing’s geopolitical thinking

The meeting with the Russian president will attract intense scrutiny about how close the two sides remain given recent developments in the Ukraine war

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Some observers predict Xi Jinping may wish to distance himself from Vladimir Putin as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine falters. Photo: TNS

Published: 7:00am, 13 Sep 2022Updated: 8:44am, 13 Sep 2022

Much is at stake for Beijing when President Xi Jinping travels to Central Asia, with Xi expected to meet Vladimir Putin on the Chinese leader’s first trip abroad since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and Kyiv pushing back hard on Russian troops in its biggest victory for months.

Beijing confirmed on Monday that Xi will start a three-day trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday, and will then attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan.

The visit to Central Asia and meeting with Putin were earlier confirmed by the Russian leader and his hosts in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Analysts said Xi’s visit was part of Beijing’s efforts to shore up ties with its neighbours, while positioning itself as an alternative to the United States on the global stage.

The stakes are also high for the Chinese leader, who has been under intense scrutiny both at home and abroad over the intensifying US-China feud, the fallout from his zero-Covid strategy and his bid to secure a norm-breaking third term in office.

For Putin, Ukraine’s rapid territorial gains in its surprise counter-attacks in the Kharkiv region have added fresh urgency to his meeting with Xi at the SCO summit amid questions about how long Moscow can sustain a protracted conflict.

Yun Sun, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Stimson Centre, said: “Xi’s trip to Central Asia demonstrates confidence in his control of the domestic situation … It also shows solidarity and mutual support China and SCO members lend each other.

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