Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged congratulatory messages marking the opening of the China-Russia Expo in the north-easten city of Harbin, highlighting deepening economic ties between the two countries.

Russia’s war in Ukraine cast a massive shadow over Donald Trump’s high-stakes China visit, as Vladimir Putin escalated attacks despite diplomatic talks with Xi Jinping. Trump admitted Ukraine peace efforts were “looking good” before deadly Russian strikes intensified the conflict.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 19 to 20 at the invitation of President Xi

US President Donald Trump has claimed that China could soon begin buying large amounts of American oil, signaling a potential geopolitical and economic shift away from dependence on Russian and Iranian crude amid the ongoing Iran war.