China’s Xi visits Kazakhstan ahead of summit with Putin

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has started his first foreign trip since the outbreak of the pandemic. Xi’s stop in Kazakhstan comes ahead of a summit with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of a Central Asian security group. Xi’s trip underlines the importance Beijing places on ties with Russia and Central Asia as the ruling Communist Party promotes its strategic ambitions amid tension with Washington, Japan and India. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s government said the two leaders would discuss energy and trade. Kazakhstan, a sprawling, sparsely populated country of 19.4 million, is a major oil and gas producer. China is a leading customer.