Xi, Putin meet in Uzbekistan as Ukraine war dominates
Deccan ChronicleSAMARKAND: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin met for talks on boosting ties between their countries on Thursday, an encounter that follows a major setback for Moscow on the battlefield in Ukraine. Xi's government, which said it had a “no limits” friendship with Moscow before the invasion of Ukraine in late February, has refused to criticize Russia's military actions. The Chinese leader is promoting a “Global Security Initiative” announced in April following the formation of the Quad by Washington, Japan, Australia and India in response to Beijing's more assertive foreign policy. On Thursday, Xi met with President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan and said Beijing supports the “early operation” of a planned railway linking China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the Chinese foreign ministry said.