Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to travel to Beijing next week for a two-day meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to a Saturday announcement from the Kremlin.
The state visit, set for May 19–20, is timed to mark the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship. The Kremlin stated that the two leaders plan to discuss bilateral relations, economic cooperation, and key international and regional issues. Following the talks, the leaders are expected to sign a high-level joint statement alongside multiple intergovernmental and interdepartmental documents.
The timing of the announcement places Putin’s trip less than 24 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his own state visit to China. During his stay, Trump met with Xi to discuss trade policies and the ongoing conflict in Iran.
Trump praised the outcome of his visit on social media, posting photos with Xi on Truth Social and calling it “A Great Honor to be with a Leader who is respected by all!”
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While Trump noted that Chinese officials opened doors to new cooperative efforts, concrete agreements from the summit have not yet been finalized.
Additionally, Trump’s visit left unresolved questions regarding a delayed $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan that Congress approved in January, as Trump has yet to announce a final decision on the matter despite bipartisan pressure from U.S. lawmakers.
Putin’s upcoming travel follows a period of increasingly close ties between Moscow and Beijing. Relations have deepened significantly since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in extensive Western economic sanctions and left Russia heavily reliant on China as a primary trading partner.
During a previous visit to China in September 2025, the two leaders publicly referred to each other as “dear” and “old” friends.
Following next week’s bilateral summit, Putin is scheduled to return to China later this year for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which will take place in Shenzhen in November.
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