XI Jinping visits Kazakhstan ahead of summit with Vladimir Putin

Nur-Sultan, September 14

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday started his first trip abroad, since the outbreak of the pandemic, with a stop in Kazakhstan ahead of a summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and other leaders of a Central Asian security group.

Xi’s trip underlines the importance Beijing places on ties with Russia and Central Asia as the ruling Communist Party promotes its strategic ambitions amid tension with Washington, Japan and India.

The two leaders would discuss energy markets and global economic turmoil. Kazakhstan, a sparsely populated country of 19.4 million people and sprawling grasslands, is a major oil and gas producer. China is a leading customer.

On Thursday, Xi is due to fly to Samarkand in neighbouring Uzbekistan for a summit of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, led by China and Russia. Beijing and Moscow see the SCO as a counterweight to US alliances in East Asia. — AP