Chinese President Rejects Putin's Invitation to Visit Russia: What Is the Reason?

Chinese President Xi Jinping has declined an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was reported by lenta.ru.

The invitation from the Russian side was extended on June 15, 2022, during a conversation that coincided with Xi Jinping's birthday. In response, the Chinese president stated that visiting Russia soon would be difficult because of anti-coronavirus restrictions.

It is known that President Xi Jinping has not visited other countries since the end of January 2020.

The publication also noted that Xi Jinping is trying to refrain from making any drastic moves in both domestic and foreign policy ahead of the Communist Party Congress in the fall of 2022, where he is likely to be re-elected for a third term. A visit to Russia could exacerbate the crisis with the United States and Europe.