Xi to visit central Asia in 1st trip abroad since pandemic

BEIJING (AP) — China’s leader Xi Jinping will travel to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan starting Wednesday in his first trip abroad since the early days of the pandemic. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Xi will attend a meeting of the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand while on a state visit to Uzbekistan. He will also be making a state visit to Kazakhstan. Xi is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit of the economic, political and security forum that China and Russia dominate. The two last met in Beijing in January, just weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The trip comes ahead of the Communist Party congress where Xi is expected to receive a third term as party leader.