BEIJING, May 17, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Russian leader Vladimir Putin was in the
northeastern city of Harbin on Friday, the final day of a visit aiming to
promote crucial trade with China and win greater support for his war effort
in Ukraine.

Putin arrived Thursday on his first trip abroad since his March re-election,
meeting President Xi Jinping for talks in which the leaders framed their
nations' ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world.

China and Russia's strategic partnership has only grown closer since the
invasion of Ukraine, and Beijing has rebuffed Western claims that it is
aiding Moscow's war effort.

China has also offered a critical lifeline to Russia's isolated economy, with
trade booming since the invasion and hitting $240 billion in 2023, according
to Chinese customs figures.

Putin's trip to Harbin is part of efforts to enhance that economic
relationship.

The city, near the border with Russia, has long served as a key hub for
cross-border trade and cultural exchange.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a Russia-China trade expo on Friday,
Putin hailed energy ties between the two countries and promised to
"strengthen" them.

"Russia is ready and able to continuously power the Chinese economy,
businesses, cities and towns with affordable and environmentally clean
energy," he said.

"As the world is on the threshold of the next technological revolution, we
are determined to consistently deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of
high technologies and innovations."

Moscow's state news agency TASS said Putin was accompanied by Han Zheng,
China's vice president.

- Western criticism -

Putin's visit comes a week after a major new ground assault in Ukraine,
Moscow's biggest advance in 18 months.

Thousands of Russian troops stormed the border into Ukraine's northeast on
May 10, seizing over 200 square kilometres (77 square miles) of land.

At a news conference on Friday, Putin said the move had been made to stop
cross-border shelling, but added there were no current plans to capture
Kharkiv city.

"This is their fault because they have shelled and continue to shell
residential neighbourhoods in border areas," Putin told reporters.

"I said publicly that if this continues, we will be forced to create a
security zone."

Putin said he and Xi had discussed the conflict, noting that he believed
China "is sincerely seeking to resolve this problem".

Western countries meanwhile have been mounting pressure on Beijing to cut off
support for Russia's economy.

After Washington vowed to go after financial institutions that facilitate
Moscow, Chinese exports to Russia dipped in March and April, down from a
surge early in the year.

But Xi said in a statement following talks with Putin on Thursday that the
two sides agreed on the need for a "political solution" to resolving the war.

The two men later ditched their ties for a less formal meeting over tea at
the palatial Zhongnanhai leadership compound.

China's state broadcaster aired footage of Xi embracing Putin following their
talks, which saw the Chinese leader express support for an "international
peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine".

There are no indications Moscow and Kyiv are prepared to engage in direct
talks, which Ukraine says would only be used by Russia to buy time to prepare
for a new assault.

Hours after Xi and Putin met, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said
that China couldn't "have its cake and eat it too" with regard to the West
and Moscow.

"It can't have it both ways and want to have (better) relationships with
Europe and other countries while simultaneously continuing to fuel the
biggest threat to European security in a long time," Patel said, referring to
Russia's invasion of Ukraine.