President Xi Jinping of China is set to depart on a rare overseas trip, his first since early 2020. He will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, where a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is anticipated, marking their first in-person encounter since the early stages of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The voyage spans until Friday. Beyond the SCO gathering, Xi is also invited by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to visit Kazakhstan, underscoring the breadth of his regional diplomacy during this trip.
Meeting with Putin
Though Moscow’s Foreign Ministry did not publicly endorse a Tuesday rendezvous, Putin signaled last week that he intends to meet Xi within the SCO framework, a bloc that includes China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
The two leaders last met in Beijing early last February, after which they celebrated a pledge of “unlimited friendship.” Shortly thereafter, Russia escalated its aggression against Ukraine.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, China has urged respect for the territorial integrity of all nations and voiced concern for the legitimate interests of every country involved, including Ukraine and Russia. Beijing has consistently argued against sanctions on Moscow, saying they have no basis in international law and do not solve the underlying problems.
The meeting occurs at a moment of strained Western relations for China, with tensions over the Taiwan Strait flaring up after a high-profile visit by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to Taiwan. China has conducted military maneuvers around the island, which Taipei has described as a blockade.
First trip since 2020
Xi’s last overseas travel was January 17, 2020, when he met Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. She is currently imprisoned following Myanmar’s military coup. Since then, the Chinese president has held most international discussions via videoconference from Beijing, a pattern accelerated by the covid-19 pandemic.
There were occasional exceptions—such as this year’s meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and the Winter Olympics hosted in Beijing in February—but foreign leaders were largely not invited to visit China in person during the period.
This trip marks a contrast to Xi’s earlier international engagement, including the first trip outside China to meet Putin since Xi rose to power in 2013. The persistence of China’s zero-COVID policy has shaped domestic and international perceptions. The policy features strict border controls, mass PCR testing, and quarantines designed to curb outbreaks, with an emphasis on rapid detection and containment.
Some observers view Xi’s journey as a potential sign of evolving health policy, though health officials have reiterated concerns that the zero-COVID approach remains essential for public health. Officials argue it remains a cost-effective way to manage infections while protecting the population and the economy.
Publicly, Xi has defended the policy, stating that the measures enacted since last spring will stand the test of time and urging the public to resist any distortion or questions about its efficacy.
An important date
The trip is tied to Beijing’s political calendar, arriving a month before the Twenty-Cifth Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) convenes. The gathering is widely viewed as a platform for consolidating leadership and guiding the party into a potential third term for Xi, a historical milestone in Chinese politics.
Historically, the 2017 Congress brought Xi’s political ideology into the Party Constitution, and subsequent changes removed term limits, reshaping the Chinese political landscape. The upcoming five-year congress promises both international and domestic reassessment, with the CCP outlining major policies and action plans for the nation’s trajectory.
The CCP, in power since 1949, celebrated its centennial in 2021. As the country approaches the October convention, commentary suggests Xi could consolidate power at a scale reminiscent of past leaders, prompting comparisons with the era of Mao Zedong. The gathering continues to shape China’s domestic governance and its role on the global stage, even as observers weigh the implications for regional stability and international relations.