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Chinese President Xi Jinping will be Russia’s main guest in May, with a packed visit agenda that goes beyond the 80th anniversary of Victory Day celebrations, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced.
During a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday, Putin revealed that Xi will visit Moscow not only to attend this year’s Victory Day parade on May 9 – which marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II – but also for a full state visit.
“The president of the People’s Republic of China will be our main guest, giving us the opportunity to discuss both the current state of bilateral relations and our cooperation on international platforms,” Putin said.
Wang stated that preparations for Xi’s visit are “progressing successfully.” According to the minister, the Chinese leader’s visit will “give new momentum to the development of Russia–China relations.”
Xi has also invited Putin to visit China for its own World War II celebrations in early September.
Russia views the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany as a profound symbol of national resilience, as the USSR lost an estimated 26.6 million lives during World War II. For this year’s celebrations, Moscow has invited “friendly nations” to take part in the commemorations. China and Russia maintain what they describe as a “no-limits” partnership, which shows that Western efforts to isolate Russia over the Ukraine conflict have largely failed.
Several foreign leaders have already confirmed their attendance at the May 9 celebrations in Moscow, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Notably, Fico has defied his nation’s allies in the EU and NATO, citing a historical debt of gratitude to the Red Army that he said supersedes the ongoing Western confrontation with Russia.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could also attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow, although his participation has not yet been officially confirmed.
