Vladimir Putin to Visit China for Strategic Talks with Xi Jinping

 Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to travel to China next week for high-level talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as Moscow and Beijing continue to reinforce ties amid growing friction with the West.

The Kremlin said Putin’s state visit will take place from May 19 to 20 and will focus on expanding strategic coordination, economic cooperation and political partnership between the two neighbouring powers. Russian Prime Minister Li Qiang is also expected to hold discussions with Putin on trade and investment issues.

Vladimir Putin to Visit China for Strategic Talks with Xi Jinping

According to a Kremlin statement, the two presidents will discuss ways to deepen what Moscow describes as a “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” between the countries.

Russian state news agency TASS reported that the visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, a landmark agreement signed by Moscow and Beijing in 2001 that laid the foundation for closer bilateral relations.

Putin’s trip comes just a day after United States President Donald Trump concluded a rare visit to Beijing, the first by a US president in nearly 10 years.

While Trump and Xi announced several broad trade understandings during the meetings, there was little visible movement on contentious issues including Taiwan and the ongoing conflict involving Iran and Israel. The leaders also briefly discussed the war in Ukraine, where Beijing has maintained an official neutral position and promoted itself as a possible mediator.

That stance, however, has faced increasing scrutiny because of Xi’s close alignment with Putin. The two leaders declared a “no limits” partnership shortly before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

China has repeatedly rejected reports from Reuters and other outlets alleging Chinese companies helped sustain Russia’s drone manufacturing industry by supplying components disguised as industrial equipment.

As tensions between Washington and Beijing have persisted, Russia and China have steadily expanded economic cooperation. China has become Russia’s largest trading partner, purchasing large volumes of Russian oil and other exports after many Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow.

During a visit to China last August, Putin criticised Western sanctions as “discriminatory” and praised Beijing for strengthening economic collaboration. He noted at the time that most trade between the two countries was now conducted in Russian roubles and Chinese yuan.

Last month, Xi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and called for “closer and stronger strategic coordination” between Beijing and Moscow. Xi also visited Russia in May last year, where he pledged support against what he described as “unilateralism and hegemonic bullying”.

“We discussed – well, it’s one that we’d like to see settled,” Trump said in remarks reported by the Kyiv Post.