Putin visits China to reaffirm Russia ties as Xi also seeks stable US relations after Trump summit

Putin's visit to Beijing comes at a time of increasing geopolitical tensions, with Western nations imposing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and China facing growing pressure from the United States amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China on May 17 for an official state visit that will see him meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries, which have been close allies since the Cold War era and share common interests in countering Western influence. Du…