China has taken an official position of ‘neutrality’ on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which began more than a year ago.
But this state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping suggests otherwise, even if Beijing describes the trip as a ‘peace mission'.
Xi Jinping is by far the highest profile foreign leader to visit Moscow since Vladimir Putin began his war, and the first since an arrest warrant was issued against the Russian leader over alleged war crimes.
There was no long Kremlin table separating these two when they met.
