Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China from May 19 to 20 for an official state visit aimed at deepening strategic and economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.
The Kremlin announced that Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss ways to further strengthen their “comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” during meetings in Beijing.
Putin is also scheduled to hold talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on trade and economic relations as both countries continue to expand cooperation amid growing tensions with the West.
According to Russian state media, the visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation signed between Russia and China in 2001, a major agreement that laid the foundation for closer political and economic ties.
The announcement comes shortly after United States President Donald Trump concluded a major visit to China, marking the first US presidential trip to Beijing in nearly a decade.
Although Trump and Xi discussed trade and global security issues during their summit, analysts said little visible progress was made on key disputes involving Taiwan, artificial intelligence and the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
The leaders also discussed the Russia-Ukraine war, where China has officially maintained a neutral stance while continuing close relations with Moscow.
China and Russia declared a “no limits” partnership shortly before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, Beijing has significantly increased trade with Moscow and emerged as Russia’s largest economic partner after Western sanctions isolated the Russian economy.
China has continued purchasing large amounts of Russian oil and energy products while expanding trade conducted in Chinese yuan and Russian roubles.
Western governments have repeatedly accused China of indirectly supporting Russia’s war efforts through trade and technology transfers. Beijing has denied allegations that Chinese firms helped sustain Russian drone production used in the war in Ukraine.
Relations between Washington and Beijing remain strained over trade, technology restrictions and military tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, while China and Russia have continued presenting a united front against what they describe as Western dominance and unilateral sanctions.
Last month, Xi Jinping met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and called for stronger strategic coordination between the two countries.
Xi also visited Russia last year, where he pledged support for Moscow against what he described as “hegemonic bullying” from the West.
Putin’s upcoming trip is expected to further underline the growing alignment between China and Russia at a time of heightened geopolitical competition worldwide.
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