Putin in trade push on final day of China trip

Putin arrived Thursday on his first trip abroad since his March re-election,meeting President Xi Jinping for talks in which the leaders framed theirnations' ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world.
China and Russia's strategic partnership has only grown closer since theinvasion of Ukraine, and Beijing has rebuffed Western claims that it isaiding Moscow's war effort.
China has also offered a critical lifeline to Russia's isolated economy, withtrade booming since the invasion and hitting $240 billion in 2023, accordingto Chinese customs figures.
Putin's trip to Harbin is part of efforts to enhance that economicrelationship.
Lying just a few hundred kilometres from the border with Russia, the city haslong served as a key hub for cross-border trade and cultural exchange, reports UNB.
The Russian president will attend the opening ceremony of a Russia-Chinatrade expo on Friday, Moscow's state news agency TASS reported, and will beaccompanied by Han Zheng, China's vice president.
Putin will hold a press conference with Russian media later in the day.
- Western criticism -
The Russian leader's arrival came hours after he hailed his country's troopsfor advancing on "all fronts" on the battlefield in Ukraine, following amajor new ground assault.
Western countries have meanwhile been mounting pressure on China to cut offsupport for Russia's economy.
After Washington vowed to go after financial institutions that facilitateMoscow, Chinese exports to Russia dipped in March and April, down from asurge early in the year.
In a statement to the media following talks with Putin, Xi said the two sidesagreed 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 atthe palatial Zhongnanhai leadership compound.
China's state broadcaster aired footage of Xi embracing Putin following theirtalks, which saw the Chinese leader express support for an "internationalpeace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine".
There are no indications Moscow and Kyiv are prepared to engage in directtalks, which Ukraine says would only be used by Russia to buy time to preparefor a new assault.
Hours after Xi and Putin met, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel saidthat China couldn't "have its cake and eat it too" with regard to the Westand Moscow.
"It can't have it both ways and want to have (better) relationships withEurope and other countries while simultaneously continuing to fuel thebiggest threat to European security in a long time," Patel said, referring toRussia's invasion of Ukraine.