Vladimir Putin is making a rare visit to China for his 'dear friend' Xi Jinping's Belt and Road summit.
Only days ago, the Russian president travelled abroad for the first time since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest in March, which alleged he is responsible for the war crime of deporting and transferring children from occupied parts of Ukraine into Russia.
Putin has publicly recounted a birthday where Xi and he celebrated with vodka and sliced sausage, while Xi has even called his Russian counterpart his "best bosom friend". But had Putin attended in person, South Africa — a member of the ICC — would have been obligated to arrest him over his war crimes charges.
"Any suggestion of China withdrawing its rhetorical and practical support for Russia would put Putin's domestic strategy for the war at risk."The US has previously warned that China could support Russia in its war effort by providing weapons, something Beijing strongly denies.
Certainly, ahead of this visit, Putin was eager to emphasise trade as one of the key reasons for his attendance.
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