Xi Jinping told Vladimir Putin on September 15, 2022, that “China is ready to work with Russia in extending strong support to each other on core interests”, according to state news agency Xinhua. The two leaders met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine. They had last met in February in Beijing, where they announced a “no-limits friendship” between the two countries.  Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Samarkand,…