ISTANBUL 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday began a state visit to China, where he is expected to hold high-level meetings aimed at deepening trade ties and expanding cooperation in areas such as climate and multilateral engagement.

Aliyev’s visit, set to last until Thursday, includes meetings with Chinese leaders to discuss bilateral relations and economic collaboration. In an interview with China’s Xinhua News Agency ahead of the trip, Aliyev said Azerbaijan and China are strengthening their strategic partnership, despite pressure from some Western actors.

In 2023, trade between the two countries reached $3.7 billion, making Azerbaijan China’s top trading partner in the South Caucasus.

Also visiting China this week is Kenyan President William Ruto, who arrived for a state visit scheduled to conclude on Thursday.

Ruto is expected to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to Capital News, discussions will focus on trade relations and infrastructure development.​​​​​​​