Xi Jinping's first international trip in over 2 years turns the focus on China's sway in Russia's backyard. A highly anticipated meeting between the presidents of China and Russia in Uzbekistan comes as Beijing and Moscow want to increase their own ties with Central Asia while presenting a common front against the West.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to make his first trip abroad in more than two years this week, in an opportunity for Beijing to demonstrate its geopolitical clout before the Chinese Communist Party's National Congress kicks off in October. Xi's visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will be punctuated by an expected meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, which starts on Thursday. As Russia's relationship with the West continues to deteriorate over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Xi has not turned his back on Russia, and China and Russia continues to deepen economic cooperation. Shortly before the invasion began in February, Xi and Putin met on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Beijing to underline a partnership with "no limits" while presenting a united front against the US-led global order. As Western sanctions increasingly cut off the Russian economy from European and US markets, China has provided economic support to Moscow, including buying Russian energy exports and supplying cars and other products to Russia.

China sides with Russia on Ukraine
On September 9, high-ranking Communist Party official Li Zhanshu met with Russian lawmakers and expressed support for Moscow while criticizing Western sanctions. Before visiting Moscow, Li also attended the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok on September 7, where he met with Putin and thanked Russia for "firmly supporting China on the Taiwan question," China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.