Isolated tyrants Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping cosy up at ‘Dictators Club’ summit in battle for domination over the West

ISOLATED tyrants Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are set to cosy up at a “dictators’ club” meeting as they look to dominate the West. The two presidents will come face to face on Wednesday just a week after their nations staged massive war games together – as Xi goes abroad for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic. APPutin and Xi will meet on Wednesday[/caption] Russia and China staged joint war games this monthRex China poured thousands of troops into Russia for military drills at the start of this month involving 60 warships and 140 planes as the countries boost defence ties. And following the Beijing Summit in February, the two countries declared a “friendship without limits” with “no forbidden areas” of cooperation. Now, Putin and Xi are set to meet at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s summit in Uzbekistan on Wednesday. The meeting will give Xi a chance to underscore his clout while Putin can demonstrate Russia’s tilt towards Asia. More on Vladimir Putin ON THE RUN Russians abandon weapons fleeing Ukrainians who see the 'beginning of the end' SHAMELESS Warmonger Putin congratulates new King Charles - who once compared him to Hitler Both leaders are expected to showcase their opposition to the United States just as the West seeks to punish Russia for the Ukraine war. In a further move intended to fire-up the West, the group has granted membership to Iran – regarded as a state sponsor of terrorism by the US. The club already includes India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.  George Magnus, author of “Red Flags”, a book about Xi’s challenges, said: “It is all about Xi in my view: he wants to show just how confident he is domestically and to be seen as the international leader of nations opposed to Western hegemony. Most read in The Sun ROYAL REST Silence falls as Queen carried into Holyrood in front of Anne, Andrew & Edward STAND UNITED Meghan Markle reveals support for Kate and William with telling gesture PRINCE'S GRIEF Kate reveals poignant reaction of Louis, 4, after great-gran The Queen died UNITED IN GRIEF Meghan and Harry join William and Princess Kate to mourn Queen at Windsor IN HER MEMORY Bank Holiday date for Queen’s state funeral confirmed - when will it be? FAMILY'S SORROW Eugenie breaks down beside cousin Zara as Royals read tributes to Queen “Privately I imagine Xi will be most anxious about how Putin’s war is going and indeed if Putin or Russia are in play at some point in the near future because China still needs an anti-western leadership in Moscow.” After the West imposed the most severe sanctions in modern history on Moscow due to the war in Ukraine, Putin says Russia is turning towards Asia after centuries of looking to the West as the crucible of economic growth, technology and war. There is no sign that Xi is ready to drop his support for Putin in Russia’s most serious confrontation with the West since the height of the Cold War. Instead, the two 69-year-old leaders are deepening ties. Trade soared by nearly a third between Russia and China in the first 7 months of 2022. The visit “shows that China is willing to not only continue ‘business as usual’ with Russia but even show explicit support and accelerate the formation of a stronger China-Russia alignment”, according to an expert. Alexander Korolev, senior lecturer in politics and international relations at UNSW Sydney, said: “Beijing is reluctant to distance itself from Moscow even when facing serious reputational costs and the risks of becoming a target of secondary economic sanctions.” Xi last met Putin in February just weeks before the Russian president ordered the invasion of Ukraine which has left tens of thousands of people dead and sown chaos through the global economy. It comes amid fears Russia’s growing links with states such as North Korea, Iran and China are evidence of a new axis of evil. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Putin, Beijing and Moscow have grown increasingly close. A year ago, Russia and China held joint military exercises in north-central China involving more than 10,000 troops. In October, Russia and China held joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan. Days later, Russian and Chinese warships held their first joint patrols in the western Pacific. Shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow announced their “no limits” partnership. It comes as Putin also cozies up to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Read More on The Sun FAMILY UNITED Meghan and Harry may fly Archie and Lilibet in with Doria for Queen’s funeral DUKE OF BARK Andrew to be left Queen's three corgis as fate of beloved pets is confirmed Putin wrote to the tyrant to form a pact to unite the pariah nations against the “hostile” West. The concerning kinship has stoked fear among security agencies who fear their alliance could result in disastrous consequences. EPAThe drills came after the nations announced a friendship of ‘no limits’[/caption]