Putin signed a "no limits" partnership agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping in February 2022 less than three weeks before sending his troops into Ukraine. Diplomatic and trade ties with Beijing have taken on even greater importance for Moscow as Western countries have hit it with successive waves of sanctions since the start of the war.
China News: Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed each other as "old" and "dear" friends at a Beijing-led conference. They critici