Just one month before he is expected to firmly establish himself as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, Xi Jinping will depart China for the first time in more than two years to go this week to Central Asia, where he will meet Vladimir Putin of Russia.

It is Xi's first travel outside of China since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it demonstrates both how secure he is in his hold on China and how dangerous the current global scenario is. 

Xi Jinping To Leave China For First Time Since COVID-19 Pandemic

Xi is scheduled to travel to Kazakhstan on a state visit on Wednesday against a backdrop of Russia and the West clashing over Ukraine, the Taiwan dispute, and a faltering global economy. The Chinese president will subsequently meet Vladimir Putin at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand, an ancient Silk Road city in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, according to the Kremlin.

Putin's adviser on international affairs, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters last week that he anticipated meeting Xi during the summit. The Kremlin declined to disclose specifics of their discussions. China has not officially confirmed Xi's itinerary. At a moment when the West is attempting to penalize Russia for the Ukraine war, both leaders can vent their animosity toward the United States.

China has not yet confirmed Xi's tour itinerary, giving Putin the chance to highlight Russia's inclination toward Asia while Xi may highlight his influence. At a moment when the West is attempting to penalize Russia for the Ukraine war, both leaders can vent their animosity toward the United States. During the meeting, Xi will have the opportunity to emphasize his influence while Putin will be able to show Russia's preference for Asia.

Last week, Russia experienced its greatest setback in the conflict when it gave up its main stronghold in northeastern Ukraine. One of the most intriguing geopolitical developments of recent years is the growing "no limits" alliance between the rising giant of China and the resource tycoon of Russia. The West is anxiously observing this development, as per Business.

Both presidents are anticipated to demonstrate their opposition to the US at a time when the West wants to penalize Russia for the conflict in Ukraine. The group has admitted Iran, which the US considers to be a state supporter of terrorism, in another move meant to inflame the West.

India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan are already members of the so-called dictators' club. Some of the most brutal leaders in the world are among its members; it was founded in 1996. Since beginning a war in February, Russian despot Vladimir Putin has wreaked massive havoc and damage throughout Ukraine. According to activists, the newest member of the club, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, has a dark past filled with murder and executions.

Raisi, also known as 'The Butcher,' is said to have had a significant role in the so-called 'Death Commission,' which gave the order for thousands of people to be slaughtered during the massacre in 1988.

Islam Karimov, the former president of Uzbekistan till his passing in 2016, had previously represented the nation in meetings. He was well-known for his abhorrent record on human rights, which included claims that two alleged Islamists were cooked to death.

Read Also: VP Kamala Harris Slams 'Extemist, So Called Leaders' Republicans as US Midterm Election Nears 

Vladimir Putin To Hold Russian-Chinese Summit

It occurs at a time when Putin claims that Russia is shifting its attention to Asia after centuries of looking to the West as the locus of economic development, technological advancement, and war after the West imposed the harshest sanctions on Moscow in modern history as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.

In the most severe conflict between Russia and the West since the height of the Cold War, there is no indication that Xi is prepared to withdraw his backing for Putin. Instead, the 69-year-old leaders' relationship is getting stronger. In the first seven months of 2022, trade between Russia and China increased by over a third, according to The Sun.

Putin's worldview aligns with Xi's, who positions China as an alternative to the US-led, post-World War Two system and paints the West as a collapsing, US-dominated alliance that seeks to imprison, or possibly destroy Russia.

The Xi-Putin meeting would be extremely crucial, according to Putin advisor Ushakov. He said nothing more in-depth. As Europe looks to turn away from Russian energy imports, Putin will seek to enhance energy exports to China and Asia.

In addition, he will host a trilateral conference with Russia, China, and Mongolia, which might result in a significantly quicker path for Russian energy from Western Siberia to China. Last week, he said that a major gas export route via Mongolia had been decided. Gazprom has been researching the potential of building a sizable new gas pipeline called the Power of Siberia 2 that would pass via Mongolia and carry Russian gas to China for many years.

It will transport 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually, or about a third of what Russia typically sells to Europe, or volumes comparable to Nord Stream 1. Iran, one of Moscow's most important friends in the Middle East, is set to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which also comprises China, India, Pakistan, and four countries in Central Asia, Live Mint reported.

Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Volodymyr Zelensky Mocks Vladimir Putin's Forces for Retreating Amid Their Counterattack 

@YouTube