{O/C} President Xi Jinping is poised to assert China's strategic role as he heads to Uzbekistan for a summit of the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
That's where he'll meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the Ukraine war unravelled.
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This will be the president's first foreign trip since the COVID pandemic erupted.
The duo are slated to meet on the sides of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where Xi will be stressing China's role as a regional leader.
While the West ferociously bashes the Kremlin for the unprovoked war, China is among the handful of countries staying aloof from the political tug-of-war.
China has also touted a "Global Security Initiative" to apparently counter the Quad by the U.S., Japan, Australia and India.
This comes amid preparations for an October congress where the President is expected to shatter political tradition and gain himself another five year in office.
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