This week, China hosted the highest-ranking Russian official to visit the country since the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine began last year. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin led a delegation of Russian business elites that toured through Beijing and Shanghai, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and boosting ties between the powers at a time of sharpened confrontation with the United States and its allies.
Trade between the two countries reached a record $190 billion last year, and it's set to surpass that in 2023 as Russia tries to offset the toll of U.S. and European sanctions. Russian energy shipments to China are expected to rise 40 percent this year.