FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin, proper, speaks with Chinese language President Xi Jinping throughout a stroll on the Zhongnanhai management compound in Beijing, China, Sept. 2, 2025.
Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik Kremlin Pool Photograph through AP
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Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik Kremlin Pool Photograph through AP
BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin is touring to China to fulfill with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping lower than every week after U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up his personal journey to Beijing.
Putin is scheduled to be in China on Tuesday and Wednesday in a go to more likely to be carefully watched as Beijing seeks to take care of steady relations with the US whereas additionally preserving sturdy ties with Russia.
The Kremlin has mentioned Putin and Xi plan to debate financial cooperation between the 2 international locations, but additionally “key international and regional issues.” The go to coincides with the twenty fifth anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship signed in 2001.
Putin mentioned in a video handle launched earlier than his go to that bilateral ties are at “a truly unprecedented level” and the connection performs an necessary function globally, China’s official Xinhua Information Company reported Tuesday.
There may be “no connection” between Trump’s go to to China and Putin’s, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov advised reporters Monday, noting the journey by the Russian chief was agreed upfront, a number of days after Putin and Xi spoke through videoconference on Feb. 4.
“The Trump visit was about stabilizing the world’s most important bilateral relationship; the Putin visit is about reassuring a long-standing strategic partner,” mentioned Wang Zichen, deputy secretary-general for the Beijing-based assume tank Heart for China & Globalization. “For China, these two tracks are not mutually exclusive.”
Putin and Xi name one another ‘pal’
Putin final visited China in September 2025 to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Group in Tianjin, watch a army parade honoring the eightieth anniversary of the top of World Battle II and maintain talks with Xi.
On the time, Xi referred to as his counterpart an “old friend ” whereas Putin addressed Xi as “dear friend.” In China, “old friend” is a really uncommon diplomatic time period utilized by the federal government and social gathering to explain favored overseas individuals.
In April, Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Beijing and met Xi, who described the bilateral relationship as “precious” within the present worldwide context. Xi mentioned China and Russia wanted to make use of a stronger strategic collaboration to defend their authentic, shared pursuits and safeguard the unity of World South international locations.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned over the weekend that Putin’s journey additionally would enable Russia to obtain direct updates and trade views with China regarding its talks with the U.S.
Throughout Trump’s go to, Xi described the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and China because the world’s most necessary and mentioned they need to see one another as companions relatively than rivals. By the top of the two-day summit, the international locations mentioned they might work on a brand new framework to handle “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.”
Wang of the middle for China & Globalization noticed, “Beijing wants stable relations with the West, continued strategic trust with Moscow, and enough diplomatic room to present itself as an unbiased major power capable of talking to all sides.”
China is Russia’s main commerce associate
For some, Putin’s go to is supposed to strengthen the partnership between Russia and China that has strengthened in recent times, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. China has mentioned it’s impartial within the Ukraine battle whereas sustaining Russian commerce ties regardless of financial and monetary sanctions by the U.S. and Europe.
China has develop into Russia’s high buying and selling associate. Beijing is now the highest buyer for Russian oil and gasoline provides and Moscow expects the conflict in Iran to extend the demand. China additionally has ignored calls for from the West to cease offering high-tech elements for Russia’s weapons industries.
Ushakov, the Russian presidential aide, mentioned Russia’s oil exports to China grew by 35% within the first quarter of 2026 and that Russia is without doubt one of the greatest exporters of pure gasoline to China.
Throughout “the crisis in the Middle East,” Russia stays a dependable vitality provider and China is a “responsible consumer,” Ushakov mentioned.
Putin famous earlier this month that Moscow and Beijing have reached “a very substantial step forward in our cooperation in the oil and gas sector.”
“Practically all the key issues have been agreed upon,” the Russian chief mentioned. “If we succeed in finalizing these details and bringing them to a conclusion during this visit, I will be extremely pleased.”
Putin additionally hailed their bilateral relationship as an important, balancing drive in worldwide relations.
“Interaction between such nations as China and Russia undoubtedly serves as a factor of deterrence and stability,” he mentioned.
Moscow welcomes China’s dialogue with the U.S. as one other stabilizing component for the worldwide economic system, Putin added.
“We stand only to benefit from this, from the stability and constructive engagement between the U.S. and China,” he mentioned.
