China’s Xi Jinping Will Travel to Central Asia, First Overseas Trip Since Pandemic

(Bloomberg) — China confirmed that Xi Jinping plans to travel to Central Asia this week, in what would be the president’s first trip aboard since the pandemic hit more than two years ago.

Xi will visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from Wednesday to Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday, confirming earlier reports from those countries. Uzbekistan is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, which will give Xi a chance to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in person for the first time since Moscow began…