This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a trip around Central Asia for the first time in almost two years, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Wednesday, Xi will make a state visit to Kazakhstan, the first trip abroad since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chinese president will later meet Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The meeting between the two 69-year-old leaders demonstrates Xi's continued support for Putin, while Russia deepens its ties with Asia.
In the first 7 months of 2022, trade between China and Russia increased by nearly a third.
