CHEREPOVETS, February 4. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China is still planned for the latter half of 2020, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, answering a question on whether the coronavirus outbreak has affected the Russian leader’s plans to visit China this year.
Peskov noted that the year had just begun, "so it is too early to discuss any changes to the president’s plans." "[Putin’s] visit [to China] was outlined for the latter half of the year, and this visit is on the agenda," the spokesman said.
In November 2019, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told reporters that China is expecting a visit from Putin in 2020. Putin’s latest visit to China took place in April 2019.
On December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the city of Wuhan - a large trade and industrial center in central China populated by 11 million people. The city has since been closed off for entry and exit. Foreign states are evacuating their citizens from Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province.
The number of people infected with 2019-nCoV in China has exceeded 20,400, with 420 recorded deaths. There have been two cases of death from coronavirus outside mainland China - in Hong Kong and in the Philippines.
Cases of coronavirus have been detected in 24 countries outside of China, including Russia. On January 30, WHO declared an international public health emergency over the outbreak of 2019-nCoV.
