Kremlin Says Putin Trip to China Is 'On the Agenda'

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with CEO of VTB bank Andrey Kostin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with CEO of VTB bank Andrey Kostin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)
TT

Kremlin Says Putin Trip to China Is 'On the Agenda'

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with CEO of VTB bank Andrey Kostin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with CEO of VTB bank Andrey Kostin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. (Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a visit by President Vladimir Putin to China was on the agenda, adding that now was a good time to build on the already strong relationship between the two countries.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a regular news briefing that the date of Putin's trip would be announced when it had been finalized.

"Now is an absolutely opportune moment to maintain high dynamics in the development of bilateral Russian-Chinese relations... The exact dates will be agreed and you will be informed. Dialogue continues at various levels," he said.

Russia has further strengthened its economic, trade, political and military ties with China after its decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine drove relations with the West to post-Cold War lows.

Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to a "no limits" partnership just weeks before Russia launched what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24 2022.

Xi visited Moscow in March this year and sealed a series of economic and other agreements with his "dear friend" Putin.

China, a major buyer of Russian oil and gas, presented a paper calling for a de-escalation and eventual ceasefire in Ukraine, but Kyiv and its Western allies rejected the plan, saying it would lock in Russian territorial gains.

During Putin's expected trip to Beijing, Peskov said, the two presidents would focus on bilateral trade and economic cooperation and on global issues.

"Based on the similarity of Moscow and Beijing's vision of the essence of international relations...we have very, very good prospects for further discussions and, most importantly, for constructive interaction," Peskov said.



Trudeau Says He Will Step Down after New Liberal Party Leader Named

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. (AFP)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. (AFP)
TT

Trudeau Says He Will Step Down after New Liberal Party Leader Named

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. (AFP)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. (AFP)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he will step down as leader of the ruling Liberals after nine years in office but will stay on in his post until the party chooses a replacement.

Trudeau, under heavy pressure from Liberal legislators to quit amid polls showing the party will be crushed at the next election, said at a news conference that parliament would be suspended until March 24.

That means an election is unlikely to be held before May and Trudeau will still be prime minister when US President-elect Donald Trump - who has threatened tariffs that would cripple Canada's economy - takes office on Jan. 20.

"This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," Trudeau said.

Trudeau, 53, took office in November 2015 and won reelection twice, becoming one of Canada's longest-serving prime ministers.

But his popularity started dipping two years ago amid public anger over high prices and a housing shortage, and his fortunes never recovered.

Polls show the Liberals will badly lose to the official opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October, regardless of who the leader is.

Parliament was due to resume on Jan. 27 and opposition parties had vowed to bring down the government as soon as they could, most likely at the end of March. But if parliament does not return until March 24, the earliest they could present a non-confidence motion would be some time in May.

Trudeau said he had asked Canada's Governor General, the representative of King Charles in the country, to prorogue parliament and she had granted that request.

Trudeau had until recently been able to fend off Liberal legislators worried about the poor showing in polls and the loss of safe seats in two special elections last year.

But calls for him to step aside have soared since last month, when he tried to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his closest cabinet allies, after she pushed back against his proposals for more spending.

Freeland quit instead and penned a letter accusing Trudeau of "political gimmicks" rather than focusing on what was best for the country.

"Removing me from the equation as the leader who will fight the next election for the Liberal Party should also decrease the level of polarization that we're seeing right now in the House and in Canadian politics," Trudeau said.

The Conservatives are led by Pierre Poilievre, a career politician who rose to prominence in early 2022 when he supported truck drivers who took over the center of Ottawa as part of a protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.