NurSultan, Kazakhstan:China’s President Xi Jinping was in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan Wednesday on his first trip abroad since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, ahead of a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Their highly-anticipated meeting comes as Russia suffers serious setbacks in Ukraine, but China has stood firm in its support of Putin and their “no limits” friendship.
During a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Xi vowed full support for Kazakhstan’s sovereignty at a time when the ex-Soviet Central Asian region has been spooked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“No matter how the international situation changes, we will continue to resolutely support Kazakhstan in protecting its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Xi said, according to a Kazakh government statement.