Putin Arrives in Beijing for Two-Day State Visit, Hails ‘Unprecedented’ Russia-China Ties as Trump Wraps Up Xi Meeting

Beijing/Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin began a two-day state visit to China on Tuesday, May 19, with Chinese President Xi Jinping set to receive him in Beijing. The visit marks the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation between the two countries.

Ahead of the trip, Putin described relations between Moscow and Beijing as having reached an “unprecedented level” of trust and understanding, and said the deepening ties between the two nations would serve as a “stabilising” force on the world stage.

In a video address released before his departure, Putin said Russia and China were not aligning against any other country. “We are not aligning against anyone, but working for the cause of peace and universal prosperity,” he said. He added that the two countries support cooperation “within the framework of the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS, and other multilateral platforms, making a significant contribution to addressing pressing global and regional issues.” Putin also said Moscow and Beijing were “ready to support each other on issues affecting the core interests of the two countries, including the protection of sovereignty and national unity.”

The visit comes days after US President Donald Trump concluded his own meeting with Xi in Beijing. Trump and Xi’s summit did not produce concrete agreements on several outstanding issues including trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and the US-Israel war on Iran. Against that backdrop, Russia and China are looking to advance cooperation on AI development and governance.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said ahead of the visit that the two leaders would exchange views on “establishing a multipolar world” and a “new type of international relations.” Xi and Putin are also expected to discuss the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline.

The state-backed Chinese publication Global Times described the meeting as “the focal point of global diplomacy.”

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Russia and China have significantly deepened economic ties since the start of the war in Ukraine. Two-way trade between the two countries doubled from 2020 to 2024, reaching $245 billion, according to the Mercator Institute for China Studies. Russia’s exports to China are largely composed of oil, gas, and coal, while Chinese exports to Russia include machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, and textiles.