INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Vladimir Putin traveled to the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin on Friday, the final day of his brief trip, where he sought to
promote crucial trade with China and win greater support for Russia's war on Ukraine.The Russian leader arrived in China on Thursday, his
first trip abroad since being re-elected in March, meeting with his counterpart Xi Jinping for talks in which the two heads of state framed
their nations' ties as a stabilizing force in a chaotic world.China and Russia's strategic partnership has only grown closer since the
full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, and Beijing has rebuffed Western claims that it is aiding Moscow's war effort.China
has also offered a critical lifeline to Russia's isolated economy, with trade booming since the invasion and hitting $240 billion in 2023,
opening ceremony of a Russia-China trade expo on Friday, Putin hailed energy ties between the two countries and promised to "strengthen"
them."Russia is ready and able to continuously power the Chinese economy, businesses, cities, and towns with affordable and environmentally
clean energy," he said."As the world is on the threshold of the next technological revolution, we are determined to consistently deepen
bilateral cooperation in the field of high technologies and innovations," he added.Lying just a few hundred kilometers from the border with
Russia, Harbin has long served as a key hub for cross-border trade and cultural exchange.Putin is expected to hold a press conference with
Russian state media later on Friday.
