China's Xi Believed To Be Planning Russia Visit As Soon As Next Week

Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to travel to Russia to meet his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter said, which would be sooner than previously expected. Plans for a visit come as China has been offering to broker peace in Ukraine, an effort that has been met with skepticism in the West given China's diplomatic support for Russia. Russia's TASS news agency reported in January that Putin had invited Xi to visit in the spring. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that a visit could take place in April or early May. To read the original story from Reuters, click here.