Xi lands in Kazakhstan in first trip abroad since pandemic

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pose for a picture during a meeting in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan on Sept 14, 2022. - Reuters

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (AFP): China's President Xi Jinping arrived in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan Wednesday (Sept 14) in the Chinese leader's first trip abroad since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

Xi, during his three-day visit to Central Asia, is scheduled to attend a summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Uzbekistan, where he is expected to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.