Moscow
\nChina announced Wednesday it will host a gathering of foreign leaders next week to celebrate a decade of its Belt and Road infrastructure project, with Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to attend.
\nThe Belt and Road is a landmark project in President Xi Jinping\u2019s bid to expand China\u2019s clout overseas, with Beijing saying this week it had now inked over two trillion dollars in contracts around the world.
\nCritics have long accused China of luring lower-income countries into debt traps by offering huge, unaffordable loans through the initiative, however.
\nRepresentatives from over 130 countries are due to take part in the event, with Xi set to deliver an opening speech and hold a welcoming banquet for foreign leaders.
\nIt is the third forum of its kind since China launched the vast investment initiative, with events previously held in 2017 and 2019.
\nRussian President Putin has said he will attend the event, in what will be his first visit to China since his war in Ukraine threw him into international isolation.
\nTop Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov will also attend and hold talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Moscow said.
\nChina and Russia describe each other as strategic allies, frequently touting their \u201cno limits\u201d partnership and economic and military cooperation.
\nThey came even closer following the invasion of Ukraine, with the Kremlin seeking to deepen ties with Beijing after finding itself increasingly ostracized by the West.
\nChina has refused to condemn the war and has tried to position itself as a neutral party, while at the same time offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline.
\n\u201cWe welcome countries and partners actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to come to Beijing to discuss cooperation plans and seek common development,\u201d foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said last month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Moscow China announced Wednesday it will host a gathering of foreign leaders next week to celebrate a decade of its Belt and Road infrastructure project, with Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to attend. The Belt and Road is a landmark project in President Xi Jinping\u2019s bid to expand China\u2019s clout overseas, with Beijing saying this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":361305,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-361284","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n